PEPC Dismisses Tinubu, APC Objection To Merger Of Petitions, Fixes Date To Commence Hearing

By Ayodele Oni

The Presidential Election Petition Court, (PEPC), sitting in Abuja, has dismissed objections by the President-elect,  Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), raised against the merger of the petitions relating to the outcome of the presidential election.

The five-member panel of the court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, in a unanimous decision, dismissed the argument on Tuesday.

The court held that Justice of the cases demanded that they should be consolidated and dealt with as one petition since they all relate to the same election.

Consequently, it slated May 30 for candidate of the Labour Party, (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, to open his case against the outcome of the presidential election that held on February 25.

Obi earlier said he would need seven weeks to present his case through 50 witnesses, the court, in its ruling, reduced the period to three weeks, even as it gave the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Tinubu and the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, five days each to defend the petition.

Likewise, the court gave the 4th respondent in the case, Kabiru Masari, three days to also defend himself.

The court stressed that the parties would adopt final briefs of argument on August 5 to enable it to fix a date for judgement.

Apart from Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), who came second in the election, and Obi of the LP who came third in the election, the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, equally lodged a petition to challenge the outcome of the presidential election.

Five petitions were initially filed to challenge the return of Tinubu as winner of the election, however, the Action Alliance, (AA), on May 8, withdrew its case, even as the Action Peoples Party, (APP), followed suit two days later by also discontinuing further proceedings on its own petition

Meanwhile, the Justice Tsammani-led panel gave a hint that it may ban both lawyers and members of the public from entering the courtroom with mobile phones on the next adjourned date.

Tuesday’s sitting of the court was basically for hearing and to Finalize Motions and Timelines.

It was agreed that there will be a total of 83 witnesses from all parties as no additional parties were joined during Pre-hearing

It was also resolved that there shall be no out of court settlement  with a total of 11 Interlocutory and  two Ex Parte applications already made by parties.