Supreme Court Set To Hear Atiku’s Appeal Against Tinubu’s Election Victory

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has fixed October 23 as the hearing date for the petitions filed by three presidential candidates challenging the outcome of the February 25, 2023 election.

This is even as apex Court constituted a seven-member panel of justices to hear the appeal in the petitions

The notices for the hearing were served on the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; that of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Chichi Ojei.

This was disclosed in a hearing notice dated October 19, signed by Zainab M. Garba, Supreme Court registrar.

The notice said by the Order 2 Rule 1(2) of the Supreme Court’s Rules 1985 as amended, the notice is deemed as sufficiently served on the parties.

The list of members of the panel to sit on the appeals include justices Musa Dattijo Muhammad, Uwani Musa Abba Aji, Lawal Garba, Helen M. Ogunwumiju, I.N. Saulawa, Tijjani Abubakar and Emmanuel Agim.

Recall that Atiku is challenging the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja which had dismissed his petition and affirmed Tinubu’s victory.

Atiku had alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act and corrupt practices as part of the reasons Tinubu’s election victory should be nullified.

Among his grounds of argument are Tinubu’s alleged forged certificate from the United States Chicago State University.

On his part, Obi is contending that the tribunal’s refusal of his 18,088 polling units’ blurred results, was a miscarriage of justice.

Ojei of the APM, in her petition, is contending that Tinubu and his deputy, Kashim Shettima were disqualified on the grounds of invalid nomination for the offices.

Meanwhile, Tinubu’s legal team had also urged the Supreme Court to uphold the judgment of the lower court.