Fixes timetable for hearing
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), yesterday, consolidated the three standing petitions against victory of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
Delivering reports on the pre-hearing session by Chairman of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, the tribunal consolidated the petitions in accordance with relevant laws.
The court also threw out vehement objection by Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the consolidation. The petitions are marked: CA/PEPC/05/2023, CA/PEPC/04/2023 and CA/PEPC/03/2023. The court said the move became necessary because the petitions dealt with related issues in the election.
Meanwhile, the PEPC ordered the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, and his party to present their joint petition against the February 25 presidential election within three weeks.
It also ordered the president-elect, who is the target of the petition, to defend his victory at the polls, alongside Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), within five days. Obi, through his counsel, Prof. Awa Kalu, had requested seven weeks to establish allegations against the disputed election.
Tsammani also ordered that Obi open his petition for hearing on May 30 and end the same on June 23. The court said it arrived at the decision because of limited time within which the petition must be disposed off.
Immediately after the order was handed down, Obi, who was in court to witness proceedings, took permission from the court and left, on the grounds he was going to prepare for full-blown hearing of the petition.
For APM, final adoption is July 3. Atiku’s final adoption is scheduled for August 8, while Obi’s is August 5. The court stressed that the registrar of the court would issue the trial schedule to the various parties.
Also, Tinubu and APC disclosed their intention not to speak with the media any further on court proceedings. A senior lawyer in the team of the duo, Niyi Akintola, informed the court: “We have agreed, on this side, that no lawyer will speak with the press on the proceedings.”
According to Akintola, the about 38 senior advocates representing Tinubu and the APC took the decision in one of their recent meetings.
Recall that the PEPC, on Monday, refused to grant Atiku and Obi’s request for live streaming of proceedings regarding their petitions.
