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As the Presidential Election Petition Court today, Monday, May 8, begins the conduct of pre-hearing in petitions by L|P’s Peter Obi, the Action Aliance and APP, here is the full list of justices of the PEPC at the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal that will begin to decide the fate of the various candidates and their parties.
1. Justice Haruna Tsammani (Chairman)
2. Justice Stephen Adah (the PJ of Asaba division)
3. Justice Misitura O. Bolaji Yusuf (also from Asaba division)
4. Justice Boloukuoromo Ugoh from Kano division)
5. Justice Abba Mohammed of Ibadan Court of Appeal.
…As AA withdraws petition against Tinubu
Meanwhile, the Action Alliance has, today, withdrawn its petition against the President-Elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
–Tinubu in dance of joy
The party withdrew the case at the commencement of the pre-hearing of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Monday, May 8, 2023, in Abuja. However, no reason was given for the withdrawal.
The withdrawal means that out of the five political parties and their candidates challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election on grounds of non-compliance with the electoral laws and guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), only 4 are left.
Chairman of the 5-man panel of Justices of the Court of Appeal, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, dismissed the petition following its dramatic withdrawal by the party.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Oba Maduabuchi, had announced the decision of his client to do away with the petition.
He said that Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, as well as others, had served him with no objection responses.
–Peter Obi and his team of lawyers: What’s on their minds?
The development was confirmed by Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, who stood for Tinubu and Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, who argued for the All Progressives Congress APC.
In his brief ruling, Justice Tsammani dismissed the petition in its entirety following no objections from all the respondents.
The petition, therefore, has become the first to be thrown out by the Court.
…As Atiku, PDP seek live broadcast of court proceedings for openness
The Presidential Candidate of thePeoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has approached the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) seeking an order allowing live broadcast of proceedings of his petition.
–Atiku, PDP: Need openness via live broadcast
Atiku and the PDP in an application dated May 5, is specifically praying the court for an order directing the court’s registry and the parties on modalities for admission of media practitioners and their equipment into the courtroom.
The application filed by their team of lawyers led by Mr Chris Uche, SAN, is premised on the grounds that the matter before the court is a dispute over the outcome of the Presidential Election held on Feb. 25 and therefore a matter of national concern and public interest.
They also contended that being a unique electoral dispute with a peculiar constitutional dimension, it was a matter of public interest where millions of Nigerians were stakeholders with a constitutional right to receive.
“An integral part of the constitutional duty of the court to hold proceedings in public is a discretion to allow public access to proceedings either physically or by electronic means.
“With the huge and tremendous technological advances and developments in Nigeria and beyond, including the current trend by this court towards embracing electronic procedures, virtual hearing and electronic filing, a departure from the rules to allow a regulated televising of the proceedings in this matter is in consonance with the maxim that justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done.
“Televising court proceedings is not alien to this court, and will enhance public confidence.”/SHARE THIS
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