As Nigeria’s Presidential Election Petition Court PEPC prepares to deliver the much-anticipated judgment on the disputed February 2023 elections today Wednesday, the 6th, Vice President Senator Kashim Shetima has arrived at the court.
Before the arrival of the Vice-President, the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu arrived along with the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress APC Abdullahi Ganduje.
NEWS FLASH:
Chairman Haruna Tsammani is delivering the verdict in the APM petition at the #PEPTJudgement #Tinubu #Shettima pic.twitter.com/gMHrZJdQE3
— Voice of Nigeria (@voiceofnigeria) September 6, 2023
Governors of Yobe Maimala Buni, Kogi, Yahaya Bello, Ekiti Biodum Oyebanji, Bauchi Bala Bala Mohammed, Nassarawa Abdullahi Sule, Imo Hope Uzodinma were also in court.
The Chief of Staff to President Femi Gbajabiamila and Minister of Aviation Festus Kiyamo were also in court.
Meanwhile, the major contenders of the disputed election, the Presidential candidates of People’s Democratic Party PDP Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party Mr Peter Obi were not in court as of the time of this report.
The National Chairman of the Labour Party Mr. Julius Abure was also present in the court.
Security has been beefed up within the venue of the appeal Court.
Roads leading to the court have been barricaded by various security operatives as accredited journalists, lawyers and senior government officials undergo different sets of screening before being allowed in.
The judges presiding over the tribunal are Justice Haruna Tsammani who is the Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Stephen Adah from the Court of Appeal Asaba division, Justice Monsurat Bolaji-Yusuf also, from the Court of Appeal Asaba Division, Justice Moses Ugo from the Kano division, and Justice Abba Mohammed from Ibadan division of the Court.
They are expected to deliver judgment on the petitions by Atiku and Obi over alleged electoral irregularities during the conduct of the February 25 Presidential elections.
Recalled that both Presidential candidates of the People’s Democratic Party PDP, Abubakar Atiku and his counterpart of the Labour Party Peter Obi who are the major contenders in the petition, closed their cases in June.
Abubakar closed his case after calling 27 out of the 100 witnesses and tendering electoral documents while Obi called 13 witnesses.
Both petitioners have alleged electoral irregularities during the Presidential Elections and want the Tribunal to nullify the election.
Already, the five panels of justices have taken their seats and the court proceedings have commenced.
