Supreme Court Constitutes Panel of Judges to Hear Atiku, Obi’s Election Petitions

A seven-member panel of justices has been constituted by the Supreme Court to hear the appeals filed by three presidential candidates challenging the outcome of the February 25 election and the dismissal of their petitions by the tribunal.

It was gathered that the candidates are Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Chichi Ojei of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

The notices for the hearing were served on the candidates and made known to newsmen on Thursday.

The notices signed by Zainab M. Garba in the office of the registrar, said by 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.

In his appeal, Atiku maintains that the Presidential Election Petitions Court erred when they dismissed his petition on the grounds that the petitioners failed to prove allegations of irregularities in the presidential election, 25 percent requirement in the FCT, forfeiture and failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit the results from the polling units to the IREV using BVAS as provided in its laws and guidelines.

In the application by his counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), Atiku also requested leave to file academic records of Tinubu, which he alleged were forged.

On his part, Obi says 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.

In his replies, Tinubu, through his counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), requested the court to hold that Atiku’s petition was an abuse of court process and lacked merit.

Tinubu has described Obi’s petition as a jamboree and should be dismissed.

The Supreme Court has until November 6, 2023, to give a final judgment on the appeals.