The Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja Nigeria’s Capital has adjourned pre-hearing of petitions filed by People’s Democratic party PDP Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and that of Allied People’s Movement APM to May 11.
Justice Haruna Tsamani fixed the date after counsels adopted their processes.
The Election Petition Court also asked parties to harmonise their responses before the next pre-hearing date.
At the resumed pre-hearing, Counsel to APC Lateef Fagbemi submitted two motions one seeking to strike out the answers contained in information sheet of the petitioners and the other one challenging competence of the petition by Atiku and PDP.
Atiku and PDP through his Counsel Mr. Chris Uche SAN, had also on May 8 filed an application seeking for a live broadcast of proceedings of the Election Petition Court.
In response to the application, the court said “it will be heard along other matters on 11 May.”
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its Presidential candidate in the February 25, 2023 elections, Bola Tinubu have asked the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abiuja to dismiss in its entirety a petition brought against the declaration of Tinubu as winner of the election.
APC and Tinubu on Tuesday argued that the petition filed by the Allied People’s Movement APM was worthless as it disclosed no reasonable cause of action.
In their separate motions on notice, APC and Tinubu told the Court that, “the petition was incompetent on various grounds and does not deserve being given precious time of the Tribunal.”
Legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, Prince Lateef Fagbemi who filed the motion on behalf of APC said that “the APM has no legs upon which its petition can stand.”
Fagbemi SAN insisted in the motion that the election being challenged by APM was lawfully conducted and a clear winner declared in line with the provisions of the law.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, the senior lawyer while notifying the Tribunal of the motion on notice said, it would be fully argued at the appropriate time.
Fagbemi confirmed that he had answered all the questions on the pre-hearing Form TF008 Information sheet as required by law.
He said, “the Form TF008 answer sheet was filled at the Tribunal on May 8th and served on other parties.”
In his own submission, Counsel to Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shetima Mr. Akin Olujimi SAN who informed the Election Petition Court that, he had filed pre-hearing information sheet on May 3, 2023.
He notified the Tribunal of his pending motion on notice praying for outright dismissal of the petition on various reasons.
Olujimi SAN said he would argue the motion at the appropriate time allotted to it by the Tribunal.
The APM represented by Suleiman Abubakar SAN adopted his form TF008 pre-hearing sheet filed on April 28.
After taking arguments at the pre-hearing session, Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Haruna Tsammani fixed May 11 for further pre-hearing session.
Justice Tsammani ordered parties in the matter to sort out and agree on all documents they intend to tender during the hearing of the petition.
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