Improper Arrangement Of Documents Stalls Hearing Of Atiku’s Petition At PEPC

Proceeding at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja were stalled, yesterday, through an improper arrangement of documents by counsel to presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

Atiku is challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu.

At the resumed sitting, Eyitayo Jegede, counsel for the petitioners (Atiku and PDP), sought leave of the court to tender certain documents, which include a certified true copy of notice of discontinuance in a case marked, SC/CV/254/2023.

Jegede also tendered a certified true copy of Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Form EC8E from nine local councils of Kogi State.

But the court did not rule on admittance of the document tendered from the councils, due to improper arrangement.

Atiku’s lawyer, therefore, requested an adjournment, to enable him to arrange the schedule of documents the petitioners wish to tender before the court.

Cited in the petition, as respondents, were INEC, Tinubu and All Progressives Congress (APC), which did not object to the adjournment.

Consequently, the five-man panel, headed by Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, adjourned hearing to today.

Meanwhile, Tribunal Admits ward results of 17 States as exhibits in Obi petition
From Ameh Ochojila, Abuja.

The Presidential Election Petition Court PEPC on Tuesday admitted exhibits from the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi in seventeen States to quashe the victory of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

Obi and the Labour Party had on Tuesday tendered exhibits from the various wards comprising Form EC8B from the wards across the seventeen States.

At earlier proceedings last week the LP presidential candidate and his party had tendered exhibits in form EC8A in for twelve states, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Oyo, Edo, Lagos and Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Benue, Cross River, Niger, Osun and Ekiti

They also tendered Form EC8A which were admitted for Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Delta, Kaduna, Imo, Ondo, Sokoto, and Kogi state .

However at Tuesday proceedings Exhibit tendered comprising forms EC8B which is collation results from wards in the February 25 presidential election certified by the National Electoral Commission INEC as certified true copies of the original.

Breakdown of the fresh exhibits tendered on Tuesday showed that forms EC8B were from wards of ; 21 local governments of Adamawa, 23 local governments of Benue state, 21 local governments Areas of Kogi , 11 local government areas of Nasarawa and 18 local government areas of Ondo state.

Also results from the wards of, 23 local governments areas of Sokoto, 25 local government areas of Delta, 25 of Imo, Oyo 27 and Cross Rivers 18 local governments areas were also tendered and admitted.

The petitioners also tendered certified true copy of form EC8B from the wards of 15 local governments Areas of Edo state, 31 local government Areas of Akwa-Ibom States and 20 local governments Areas of Lagos state.

The winner of the election, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress APC as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC that conducted the election hinted the Court of their intentions to object to the documents at the final stage of address.

Meanwhile the five man panel of Justice headed by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned to June 7 for continuation of hearing.