…dismisses APM’s appeal.
The Supreme Court, after hearing arguments from attorneys of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi on Monday, put off the judgement for another day.
Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Obi of the Labour Party, LP, were Tinubu’s main opponents during the last presidential election. Atiku and Obi came second and third respectively after the poll.
The duo are challenging Tinubu’s win, alleging irregularities and Tinubu’s ineligibility to run for the election, among others.
The presidential election petition tribunal rejected their petitions on September 6 and affirmed Tinubu’s victory.
The two aggrieved candidates appealed to the Supreme Court to strike down the tribunal’s ruling.
Abubakar is seeking to nullify Tinubu’s election on 35 grounds while Obi’s appeal is premised on 51 grounds.
At Monday’s court session, a seven-member panel of the court led by Justice Inyang Okoro heard the arguments of counsels to the parties and reserved judgement on the matter.
Other justices on the panel are Justice Uwani Abaji, Justice Lawal Garba, Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, Justice Adamu Jauro, Justice Tijani Abubakar, and Justice Emma Agim.
The judgement date will be communicated to all parties involved.
Atiku was represented by Chris Uche, SAN, and Obi’s lead counsel was Livy Uzoukwu, SAN. Tinubu’s attorney was Wole Olanipekun, SAN.
Similarly, the apex court dismissed the appeal filed by the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, seeking to void Tinubu’s election.
The APM’s petition was premised on the ineligibility of Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima to contest the last presidential election on the grounds of double nomination for vice presidency and senatorship.
The Justice Inyang Okoro-led panel described the appeal as “agitating.” “There is nothing in this appeal,” the panel further held.
This is because the apex court had in May resolved the issue – filed by the PDP against Tinubu and Shettima – in Tinubu’s and Shettima’s favour.
APM’s counsel, Chukwuma Machukwu-Ume, SAN, subsequently withdrew the case.
Since the withdrawal received no opposition from the respondents, the court thereafter dismissed the appeal.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila and national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, were among the top politicians present in court to witness the proceedings.
