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The Supreme Court has officially announced Monday, 23 of October 2023 as the day it will hear the appeal lodged by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party–LP, Mr Peter against the tribunal judgement that affirmed President Tinubu’s victory in the last election.

The Supreme Court has also fixed same Monday, October 23 for hearing in the appeal by the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, seeking the nullification of President Bola Tinubu’s victory at the presidential election.

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The apex court will same day, hear the motion by Atiku seeking to bring fresh evidence to prove that President Bola Tinubu submitted forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a hearing notice sighted by Channels Television on Thursday, the apex court fixed 9am of the date for Atiku’s lawyers and those of President Tinubu to address its panel of seven Justices on whether it has powers to grant the request.

Also billed to address the court on the contentious request are lawyers from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who are joint respondents in the motion.

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They are to argue and cite relevant laws on whether such request is grantable under the country’s Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.

The documents Atiku sought to tender are the academic records of Tinubu, which were handed over to him by the Chicago State University on Monday, October 2.

The 32-page documents were released to him on the orders of Judge Nancy Maldonado of the District Court of Illinois, Eastern Division, Illinois, United States of America.

THE LIST: Judges That Will Hear Atiku, Obi’s appeal Against Tinubu 

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The Supreme Court has constituted a seven-member panel of justices to hear the appeal in the petitions filed by three presidential candidates challenging the outcome of the February 25 election.

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.

The notices signed by Zainab M. Garba in the office of the registrar, 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.

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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.

Atiku had in his appeal maintained that the Presidential Election Petitions Court erred when they dismissed his petition on the grounds that the petitioners failed to prove allegations of irregularities in the presidential election, 25 percent requirement in the FCT, $$60,000 forfeiture and failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit the results from the polling units to the IREV using BVAS as provided in its laws and guidelines.

In the application by his counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), Atiku also requested leave to file academic records of Tinubu, which he alleged were forged.

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.

But in his replies, Tinubu, through his counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) requested the court to hold that Atiku’s petition was an abuse of court process and lacked merit.

Tinubu described Obi’s petition as a jamboree and lacking in merit.

Daily Trust/Channels TV