Tribunal Adjourns Peter Obi’s Petition Against Tinubu To Saturday

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPC) sitting in Abuja has adjourned the petition of the Labour Party (LP) candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, against President-elect Bola Tinubu to Saturday, May 20.

Recall that Peter Obi, who came third in the 2023 presidential election, is challenging the victory of Tinubu over the alleged irregularities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Naija News reports that the five-member PEPC, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, decided to defer its ruling on the application made by Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP) for the live streaming of court proceedings.

Tsammani said that the ruling on the motion for the televised broadcast would be done on Monday, May 22.

The lawyer representing Obi and the LP, Awa Kalu (SAN) passionately urged the court to grant the application in the interest of the public’s right to access information.

However, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), representing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Wole Olanipekun (SAN), representing Bola Tinubu, and Kashim Shettima, and Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), representing the All Progressives Congress (APC), presented their counter affidavits and pleaded with the court to reject the application.

They argued that the application lacked merit and would serve as a distraction to the court.

The court further adjourned the pre-hearing to Saturday, May 20, 2023, in order to allow Muslims to observe their prayers.