Fact Check: The Truth Behind ‘Tinubu Presidential Legal Team’ Header on PEPT’s Judgment

The claim: The Certified True Copy (CTC) of Tsammani’s judgment has “Tinubu Presidential Legal Team (TPLT)” as a header on every single page.

Our rating: PARTLY FALSE

Here’s why:

What’s the fuss about?

Social media and various online platforms are buzzing with claims suggesting that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal’s (PEPT) judgment was biased because of a header stating “Tinubu Presidential Legal Team (TPLT)” on every page. Such a header, if originating from an official document, could lead many to believe that the judgment was crafted or influenced by the APC legal team, as one netizen pointed out:

“I said it. That judgement was being crafted by the APC legal team. It’s so clear as day, and now a further testament of that. These guys are just thieves.”

What we found

The header in question did not originate from the PEPT. The Tinubu Legal Team, which first received a copy of the judgment, added the header for their internal records. The explanation was provided in an attempt to mitigate the damage caused by the circulating rumor:

“Please, I must discard the rumour already rising about the PDF document of the Judgment of the PEPT with the title on it “Tinubu Presidential Legal Team”. The reason is that the Legal team of Tinubu first got a hold of the judgment earlier in the day. So in order to begin work on it immediately, other parties collected the scanned copy from them to use. The text at the header was inserted on the document after they scanned and not part of the original judgment which was provided and stamped by the court. The other parties are scanning the 798-page document for their various legal teams.”

The Verdict from PEPT

To provide context, the tribunal made these major points:

1. Victory Confirmation: President Bola Tinubu’s win in the 2023 presidential election was upheld.
2. Opposition Claims: Allegations of electoral malpractice by opposition parties, such as Labour Party (LP), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and Allied Peoples Movement (APM), were found baseless.
3. Notable Petitions: Claims by prominent politicians Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi were also dismissed.

Our ruling

The header “Tinubu Presidential Legal Team (TPLT)” on the CTC of Tsammani’s judgment did not originate from the official document as claimed. It was added by the Tinubu Legal Team for their use. However, the spread of this version without context led to misconceptions. We rate the claim as PARTLY FALSE.

Remember, in this age of fast information, accuracy is key. Stay informed and always check the facts.

Fact-checker: MandyNews