The Supreme Court has fixed next week Monday, for the hearing of the appelas filed by former Vice-President Abubarkar Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) candidate in the 2023 presidential election, against President Bola Tinubu’s election.
Same day was fixed for the hearing of the appeal filed by Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) snd Allied Peoples Movement (APM’s) Chichi Ojei, against the decision of the same Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), which also dismissed his petition in its entirety.
According to a hearing notice sent to the counsels to the appelants, the apex court fixed Monday, October 23 for the hearing of the three cases.
The notices signed by Zainab M. Garba in the office of the registrar, said by the Order 2 Rule 1(2) of the Supreme Court’s Rules 1985 as amended, the notice is deemed as sufficiently served on the parties.
The list of members of the panel to sit on the appeals include justices Musa Dattijo Muhammad, Uwani Musa Abba Aji, Lawal Garba, Helen M. Ogunwumiju, I.N. Saulawa, Tijjani Abubakar and Emmanuel Agim.
Atiku had on September 19, through the Notice of Appeal filed by his lead counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, loated 35 grounds of appeal challenging the verdict of the hearing court which upheld Tinubu’s victory in the election.
The five-member panel of the PEPC headed by Justice Hassan Tsammani on September 6 dismissed the petitions filed by Atiku and Obi, for lack of merit.
Amongst others, the former Vice President maintained that the Tribunal erred in law when it failed to nullify the presidential election on the grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022, when by the evidence before the tribunal, the Independent National Electoral Commission conducted the election based on grave and gross misrepresentation contrary to the principles of the Electoral Act 2022, based on the “doctrine of legitimate expectation.”
The former Vice President had also sought the leave of the Supreme Court to file fresh evidence obtained from the Chicago State University (CSU) against the president.
Atiku has continued to insist that Tinubu’s academic records are fraught with discrepancies and forgery and asked the apex court to kick him out of office.
The apex court also scheduled to hear the appeals by Obi and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) same Monday.
On his part, Obi is contending that the tribunal’s refusal of his 18,088 polling units’ blurred results, was a miscarriage of justice.
Ojei of the APM, in her petition, is contending that Tinubu and his deputy, Kashim Shettima were disqualified on the grounds of invalid nomination for the offices.
But in his replies, Tinubu, through his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), urged the court to hold that Atiku’ and Obis petitions abused court processes and lacked merit.
Tinubu fuether described Obi’s petition as a jamboree.
