The Supreme Court of Nigeria has reserved judgment in the appeals filed by the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, against President Bola Tinubu. The appeals seek to dismiss and set aside the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) which upheld the election of President Tinubu.
The PEPC had previously dismissed Atiku and Obi’s petitions for lacking merit, leading to their decision to appeal to the Supreme Court. The seven-man panel of justices, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, heard both appeals and announced that the date for judgment would be communicated to the parties. The other justices on the panel include Justice Uwani Abaji, Justice Lawal Garba, Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, Justice Adamu Jauro, Justice Tijani Abubakar, and Justice Emma Agim.
In Atiku’s appeal, he raised 35 grounds for dismissing the judgment of the PEPC. Atiku’s lead counsel, Mr Chris Uche, SAN, argued that the judgment was a miscarriage of justice and that the lower court erred in law by not nullifying the presidential election held on February 25 due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022. Atiku further contended that INEC conducted the election based on grave and gross misrepresentation, in violation of the principles of the Electoral Act.
Similarly, Obi, represented by his lead counsel, Levi Uzoukwu, SAN, urged the apex court to set aside the PEPC’s judgment that dismissed his petition. Uzoukwu requested the court to allow the appeal and grant all the prayers sought.
On the other hand, the respondents, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), President Tinubu, and the All Progressives Congress (APC), asked the court to dismiss the appeals for lacking merit and being frivolous. President Tinubu’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, described the appeals as abusive and called for their dismissal.
Atiku and Obi’s appeals before the Supreme Court challenge the September 6 judgment of the PEPC, which dismissed their petitions against President Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential polls. Although both petitions were consolidated, they were heard separately.
By Media Talk Africa
