Nigeria News
Court Adjourns Atiku’s Petition Against Tinubu Till Friday
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja has adjourned further proceedings on the petition filed by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.
The five-member panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned the session to continue with pre-hearing matters and hear pending applications filed by the respondents.
Respondents in the case include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), President-elect, Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Decisions On Witnesses And Modalities
During the adjournment, Justice Tsammani stated that the court would decide on the number of witnesses allowed for each party, allocate time for their presentation, and determine the duration of cross-examination.
He encouraged the parties to collaborate and reach agreements on further modalities to be adopted.
The Petition And Prayers
The joint petition by Atiku and the PDP, marked CA/PEPC/05/2023, seeks, among other things, the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return issued to the President-elect by INEC.
The petitioners argue that Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of the presidential election was invalid due to non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.
They further claim that Tinubu’s election was marred by corrupt practices, asserting that he was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast.
Atiku also requests the court to declare him the winner of the presidential election, as he secured the second-highest number of lawful votes.
The court will resume proceedings on Friday to address the pending issues and determine the next steps in the case.
