Presidential Tribunal Issues Fresh Order To Peter Obi, Tinubu, INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, President- elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Labour Party LP to organise their affairs regarding documentary evidence to be used for and against the disputed election, according to a ruling by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
The tribunal particularly instructed them to compare all the documents and come to an understanding over which ones would be challenged and which ones would not.
Following the presentation of the mountains of paperwork that the parties had brought to the tribunal, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani issued the order on Monday in Abuja.
The tribunal’ s chief justice, Justice Tsammani, instructed the parties to return to court on May 10 with their report.
Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, a legal stalwart, is stepping in for Tinubu while Prince Lateef Fagbemi is running for the All Progressives Congress, or APC, to defend the election.
Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, a legal stalwart, is stepping in for Tinubu while Prince Lateef Fagbemi is running for the All Progressives Congress, or APC, to defend the election.
Dr. Livy Uzuoku, SAN, defended Obi, who is contesting Tinubu’ s declaration on a number of grounds, including a purported indictment for issues involving hard drugs and forfeiture of $460, 000 to the United States of America (USA).
Uzuoku informed the court during Monday’ s sessions that all relevant responses had been included in the processes submitted and communicated with the respondents.
Olanipekun, who led around 36 Senior Advocates in defending Tinubu, said that his legal team had appropriately addressed all objections to Tinubu’ s declaration as the winner of the presidential election on February 25, 2023.
For his part, Fagbemi informed the court that the All Progressives Congress APC was prepared for full- throated arguments in the matter because everything that needed to be done on its behalf to support its election triumph had been completed.
Justice Tsammani set May 10 as the return date for the parties after hearing their arguments.
The Tribunal had set May 9 for the continuation of the pre- hearing phase of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party’ s (PDP) case contesting Tinubu’ s designation as the next president of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State was not permitted to appear before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on behalf of President- elect Bola Tinubu.
As soon as the first appeal filed against the results of the 2023 presidential election was called up, the governor of Plateau State came up and identified himself as Tinubu’ s agent.
The Governor introduced himself as Simon Lalong and said, ” My Lords, I am here to represent Tinubu. “
He was not accepted as Tinubu’ s representative by the five- member panel, which was presided over by Justice Haruna Tsammani.
”You cannot speak for another person. The presiding justice declared that Tinubu is not a corporation and as such does not require representation.
In response, Governor Lalong said, ” My Lords, in that case, I will represent the All Progressives Congress, APC. “
The court postponed until Wednesday a further pre- hearing session on the petition Peter Obi and the Labour Party, LP, filed to invalidate Tinubu’ s election victory