Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the appeal filed by the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The court also reserved judgment in the appeal filed by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi also challenging the election of President Bola Tinubu.
Both Atiku and Obi approached the Appeallate court to set aside the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).
The PEPC had on September 6, dismissed Atiku and Obi’s petitions for lacking in merit and affirmed the election of President Bola Tinubu.
Although both petitions were consolidated, they were heard separately.
But a seven-man panel of justices led by Justice Inyang Okoro, after hearing both appeals on Monday in Abuja, said that the date for judgment would be communicated to the parties.
Other Justices on the panel are Uwani Abaji, Lawal Garba, Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro, Tijani Abubakar and Emma Agim.
In Atiku’s notice of appeal predicated on 35 grounds, he informed the apex court that the PEPC erred on the side of law in the judgment delivered by the Chairman of the panel, Justice Haruna Tsammani.
Atiku, through his lead counsel, Mr Chris Uche, SAN told the court that the judgment of the PEPC was a miscarriage of justice.
He argued that the lower court also erred in law when it failed to nullify the presidential election held on February 25, on the grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022.
The PDP presidential candidate hinted that by the evidence before the court, INEC conducted the election based on grave and gross misrepresentation contrary to the principles of the Electoral Act 2022, and doctrine of legitimate expectation.
Specifically, Atiku asked the Supreme Court to set aside the entire findings and conclusion of the PEPC on the grounds that it failed to represent the true picture of the his petition.
Also, Obi through his lead counsel Mr Levi Uzoukwu, SAN also prayed the apex court to set aside the judgment of the PEPC that dismissed his petition.
Uzoukwu informed the court to allow the appeal of his client and grant all the prayers sought.
Counsels to the respondents, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) urged the court to dismiss the appeals for want of merit and for being frivolous.
Specifically, President Tinubu’s lawyer, Mr Wole Olanipekun, SAN described the appeals as lacking in merit .
Olanipekun told the court that the appeal filed by Atiku was abusive in nature and urged the court to dismiss the appeal.
News Flash