The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have urged the Presidential Election Petition Court to dismiss the petition filed by the Allied People’s Movement (APM). The petition challenges the declaration of Tinubu and the APC as the winners of the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
During the court proceedings on Thursday in Abuja, counsel for Tinubu and Kashim Shetima, Chief Akin Olujimi SAN, submitted that the APM’s petition lacked focus and had no clear direction. Therefore, he demanded its outright dismissal. The APC, represented by Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN, made a similar demand for striking out or the outright dismissal of the petition.
INEC’S lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud SAN, argued that the petition failed to disclose any reasonable cause of action and only aimed to waste the court’s precious time. Furthermore, he insisted that the petition violated several laws relating to election petitions, including the Election Judicial Procedure Practice Direction 2022, thereby rendering it toothless.
However, Mr Salihu Abubakar, counsel to the APM, maintained that the petition met all requirements of the law. He asked the court to discountenance the respondents’ request for dismissal and argued that their objections were not in line with the provisions of the electoral laws.
After taking arguments from the parties, the Chairman of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, adjourned ruling on the matter indefinitely.
In conclusion, the demands for the dismissal of the APM’s petition by the respondents vividly reveals the lack of merit in the petition. It remains to be seen what decision the Court will take in this matter.
