UPDATED: Appeal Court Finally Fixes September 6 To Deliver Judgement In Obi, Atiku’s Petitions Against Tinubu

The Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) sitting at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, has finally fixed September 6 to deliver its judgment in different petitions challenging President Bola Tinubu’s election victory.

The Court of Appeal which sought the cooperation of Nigerians, said in the interest of transparency and openness, the judgements will be televised live by interested television stations for the public to follow.

On May 22, 2023, the panel dismissed applications filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party seeking a live broadcast of proceedings, saying “televising of our proceedings is not backed by Nigerian laws.”

The latest development was disclosed in a statement signed by the Chief Registrar, Court of Appeal, Umar M. Bangari Esq.

The statement was sent out a few hours after the Secretary of the PEPC panel, Barrister Josephine J. Ekperobe, told THE WHISTLER that “no date” had been fixed regarding the judgement.

it reads in part,” The Court of Appeal wishes to inform the General Public that judgment in the following petitions before the Presidential Election Petition Court will be delivered on Wednesday 6h September, 2023:

“In a bid to promote transparency and openness, these judgments will be televised live by interested Television Stations for the public to follow.

“IMPORTANT NOTE: Access to the Court premises will be strictly on accreditation. Only accredited individuals, including Counsel and representatives
of Political Parties, will be granted access into the Courtroom. Interested
members of the public are advised to watch proceedings from their television sets.

“For accreditation and further inquiries, please contact: Josephine on
08037052260 or Samira on 08164483081.
“We appeal for the maximumn cooperation of the General Public to ensure a hitch
free exercise, please.”

THE WHISTLER reported that all the petitioners, Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and the Allied Peoples Movement APM; alongside the defendants (INEC, Tinubu, Kashim Shettima and others) had closed their cases after presenting witnesses and tendering evidence to support their respective submissions.

Obi’s legal team alleged that INEC connived with Tinubu to blur his additional 2.5 million votes that would have put him as the winner of the polls.

On his part, Atiku claimed that INEC did not comply with its guidelines when the INEC Results Viewing Portal IRev portal failed to upload election results in real-time from polling units, thereby allegedly paving the way for rigging.

Also, Obi and Atiku asked the PEPC to cancel Tinubu’s election victory for not securing 25 per cent of votes in FCT.

The defendants, however, filed and argued in their final written addresses that the court should throw out all the petitions challenging the election of Tinubu for lacking in merit.

INEC, on its part, submitted that the petitioners failed to provide the party agents’ polling results to counter what was already announced by INEC Chairman, Yakubu Mahmood.

The PEPC had adjourned, saying it would communicate the date for judgment to “parties”.