The Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec), the electoral body of Nigeria, has requested that challenges to the results of the presidential election held in February be dismissed by an election court.
Bola Tinubu of the ruling APC party was declared the winner with 37%. But his opponents, second-placed Atiku Abubakar and third-placed Peter Obi, have rejected the results and they want the election tribunal to nullify the result.
In its defence at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, the electoral commission described the petitions filed by the opposition candidates as “grossly incompetent, vague and academic”.
It said they were “an abuse of the court process”.
Inec has previously apologised for “technical glitches” that hindered the electronic transmission of results from polling stations.
It said that any discrepancies between results on its website and “physical results” would be investigated and resolved.
The electoral process was criticised by observer groups as falling short of required standards.