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Tag: PEPC

  • Counsel staff mebers’ ill health stalls hearing in Obi, LP petition at PEPC

    Counsel staff mebers’ ill health stalls hearing in Obi, LP petition at PEPC

    Hearing in the election petition of the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi was stalled at the Presidential Election Petition Court, (PEPC) on Wednesday in Abuja.

    At the resumed hearing, counsel to the petitioners, Prof. Awa Kalu, SAN told the court that he was constrained to ask for an adjournment due to unforseen circumstances.

    “My lords, our plan was to continue our case but we had an unexpected development at the secretariat.

    “The unexpected development has to do with the  Illness of two of our key staff members for which reason I am constrained to pray for an adjournment until tomorrow.”

    When the presiding judge, Justice Haruna Tsammani asked for the response of Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) he said he was not opposing the application.

    “My lords I thought learned counsel would have given us heads up on this, however, in the circumstance,  I am constrained not to object and this will count as a day out of their three weeks.”

    Counsel to the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN and that of President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima also did not object to the application.

    Justice Tsammani then adjourned the matter until Thursday saying today would be counted as a day within the petitioners’ three weeks.

    Speaking to newsmen, Kalu said that the set back would not affect his client’s case.

    He said that his team would use the remaining days to prove his client’s case.

    Having told the PEPC that they would need three weeks to prove their case, the petitioners now have 19 days to go.

  • PEPC: Atiku, PDP tender documents in defence of their petition

    PEPC: Atiku, PDP tender documents in defence of their petition

    The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Mr Abubakar Atiku along with the party on Tuesday in Abuja, opened their case at the  Presidential Election Petition Court, (PEPC) by tendering documents to support their petition.

    One of the documents tendered by counsel to the petitioners, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, SAN was the Form EC 8E which is the final declaration of winners result.

    Jegede also tendered the Bimodal Voters Accreditation Systems Machines, (BVAS) report from all 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

    He also tendered Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) certified documents in respect of number of registered voters as well as number of Permanent Voter Cards, (PVC)s collected in all the 36 states including the FCT.

    Having tendered the documents, the Chairman of the Court, Justice Haruna Tsammani admitted them in evidence.

    Justice Tsammani subsequently adjourned the case until Wednesday for continuation of proceedings.

    Atiku and the PDP approached the PEPC challenging the declaration of President Bola Tinubu as winner of the Feb. 25 Presidential Election.

    Atiku urged the court to declare him winner of the election or in the alternative to cancel the election and order a fresh election due to alleged irregularities that marred the poll in thousands of polling units.

  • Safeguard Nigeria’s democracy – Group urges PEPC

    Safeguard Nigeria’s democracy – Group urges PEPC

    The Free Nigeria Movement (FRM) has called on the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) to demonstrate integrity and prioritize the preservation of democracy by delivering a just and fair decision.

    Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Convener, Moses Paul, urged the court to consider the will of Nigerians and dispel any doubts or suspicions regarding the administration of justice.

    Moses highlighted the critical state of Nigeria, referring to it as being in the “Intensive Care Unit” politically, ideologically, and in terms of infrastructure, national cohesion, insecurity, and public welfare.

    He stressed that addressing these challenges requires the active participation of the five judges of the Presidential Election Petition Court.

    “The judges must demonstrate to Nigerians that their voice is heard within the courtrooms, not just on the streets,” Moses said, urging the judges to uphold their integrity and defend the dignity of the nation in all their decisions, emphasizing that their actions would have a profound impact on Nigeria’s future.

    “The walls of tolerance, cohesion, and inclusion that were torn during the 2023 general elections must be rebuilt. One way to begin is through justice,” he asserted.

    Moses also emphasized the need for the judges to consider the impact of ongoing killings in various parts of the country, feel the pains of the citizens regardless of their social status, and understand that the consequences of their decisions will affect the entire nation.

    Unprovoked attacks and mindless killings have persisted in states such as Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Nasarawa and Yobe, despite government claims of tackling the situation.

    The group also called on the Supreme Court to expedite the case of the double nomination of Vice President-elect Kashim Ibrahim Shettima and urged the release of electoral materials to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State.

    “Attempts to deny the APC access to electoral materials in Delta State, is most disgraceful and unfortunate. We are a country of laws and must remain within the law in all our dealings.

    “People must never be gagged from pursuing legitimate causes to prove their case. We call for the immediate release of all electoral materials to the APC in Delta State. The courts must never be used as an instrument to fuel the desperation of politicians and their surrogates,” the group stated.

    It also maintained calls for the sack and prosecution of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission Mahmoud Yakubu, the cancellation of the presidential election, the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Committee, and compensation for those affected by electoral violence.

  • Atiku, Secondus, others present for PEPC hearing

    Atiku, Secondus, others present for PEPC hearing

    The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was present at the Thursday hearing of petitions and applications at the Presidential Election Petitions Court, (PEPC) sitting in Abuja.

    Also present in court were the former governors of Adamawa, Boni Haruna, Niger, Babangida Aliyu, Cross River, Liyel Imoke and Adamawa, Jubrilla Bindow as well as former National Chairman of PDP, Mr Uche Secondus, and Chairman of DAAR Communications, Mr Raymond Dokpesi.

    The tribunal will be hearing Atiku and the PDP’s motions seeking live transmission of proceedings of the court as well as petitions challenging the outcome of the Feb. 25 Presidential Election.

    In today’s proceedings, the court is also expected to hear Atiku’s application, pushing for live broadcast of the day to day proceedings with regards to his petition.

    Atiku and the PDP are specifically asking 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 on their behalf by their team of lawyers led by Mr Chris Uche, SAN, is predicated on the grounds that the matter before the court is a dispute over the outcome of the Presidential Election held on Feb. 25.

    They argue that the matter is of national concern and public interest, involving citizens and voters in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, who voted and participated in the said election.

    They also said that the matter is critical because the international community is also interested as regards the workings of Nigeria’s electoral process.

    According to Atiku, being a unique electoral dispute with a peculiar constitutional dimension, it is a matter of public interest whereof millions of Nigerian citizens and voters are stakeholders with a constitutional right to receive.

  • Avoid technicalities, focus on substance, PEPC panel tells lawyers

    Avoid technicalities, focus on substance, PEPC panel tells lawyers

    The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), sitting in Abuja, has asked lawyers representing all those who filed petitions before the court to avoid unnecessary technicalities and address the substance of their petitions.

    The five-member panel with Justice Haruna Tsammani as Chairman, said this at the inaugural sitting of the panel.

    Newsmen reports that the panel started sitting on Monday to hear petitions filed by aggrieved presidential aspirants against the declaration of Sen. Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winners of the disputed 2023 Presidential Election.

    NAN also reports that other members of the panel are Justice Stephen Adah, Justice Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf,
    Justice Boloukuoromo Ugo and Justice Abbah Mohammed.

    In his opening speech, Justice Tsammani urged the lawyers not to engage in unnecessary technicalities as such could cause delays in the expeditious hearing of the petitions.

    “Election is time bound, let us not waste unnecessary time, let us cooperate with each other so that everyone will leave here satisfied.

    “Avoid unnecessary technicalities, we are determined to look at all the matters brought before us.

    “Let us look at what is good for our country and avoid time wasting applications,” he said.

    He said that there were five petitions and the first three petitions would be heard on Monday while the last two would be heard on Tuesday.

    Responding, Mr Wole Olanipekun, SAN, said that as lawyers, they were bound by the law abiding and would adhere strictly to the rule of law throughout the proceedings.

    Olanipekun gave the assurance that the lawyers would give their full support to the cause.

    Other senior advocates also agreed with Olanipekun.

    NAN also reports that shortly after the judges recessed after the opening to prepare to hear the petitions, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, walked into the courtroom and exchanged pleasantries with lawyers and litigants in court.

    NAN recalls that Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had declared Tinubu winner of the Feb. 25 Presidential Election.

    Dissatisfied with the announcement, the candidates of the Labour Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others dragged the commission, the APC and Tinubu to court challenging his victory.

    Members of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) would adjudicate on all petitions filed against the declaration of Tinubu and the APC as winners of the disputed 2023 Presidential Election.