Ibraheem Hamza Muhammad
The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) has fixed Monday May 8 for the hearing of the petitions challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the President-elect.
The pre-hearing session is to clarify if there are any applications before the main hearing will start before a timetable is set for the hearing of the substantive matters.
The standard flagbearer for the All Progressives Congress, (APC) and President-elect is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Peoples Democratic Party has Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party has Peter Obi.
Tinubu is represented by Senior Advocates of Nigeria, (SANs): Wole Olanipekun, AkinOlujimi, Lateef Fagbemi, Olusola Oke, A.U. Mustapha, Yusuf Ali, Ahmed Raji, Abiodun Owonikoko, Kemi Pinheiro, Niyi Akintola, H.M. Liman, Taiwo Osipitan, Babatunde Ogala, Roland Otaru, James Onoja, Muiz BANIRE, and Mohammed ABUBARKAR.
However, Atiku Abubakar is represented by SANs: DrJoe Gazama, Chief Chris Uche, Mr. Paul Usoro, Tayo Jegede, K en Mozia, Prof Mike Ozekhome, Mahmood Magaji, JoeAbraham, Mr. Chukwuma Umeh, Dr Garba Tetengi, Chief Emeka Etiaba, Chief Goddy Uche, Prof Maxwell Gidado, A. K. Ajibade, Mr. O. M. Atoyebi, Mrs. Nella Rabana, Paul Ogbole, Nuremi Jimoh and Abdul Ibrahim.
Similarly, Peter Obi is represented by Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, Chief Awa Kalu, S.T. Hon, P..I.N Ikwueto, Arthur Obi Okafor, IK Ezechukwu, Dr. Mrs Valerie Azinge, EEmeka Okpoko, J.S Okutepa, Chief Ben Anyachebe and Alex Ejesieme.
The Presidential Election Petitions Court has fixed Monday May 8 for the hearing of the petitions challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the President-elect.
It could be recalled that, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairmanof the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on March 1 declared Tinubu the President-elect on the grounds that APC, his party scored the majority of votes 8.8 million to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 6.9 million, Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) who amassed 6.1 million and 15 others.
Both Atiku and Obi filed separate petitions seeking orders to annul the election or declare them the winners of the polls.
Atiku prays the Presidential Election Tribunal to declare him the president-elect.
Alternatively, he urged the court to cancel the election and order a fresh election due to alleged irregularities that marred the February 25 polls in thousands of polling booths.
In their petition, both Atiku and the PDP argued that as of March 1 when Tinubu was declared the winner of the election, the entire results and accreditation data from polling units had not been transmitted and uploaded by INEC.
Similarly, Obi, who came third, alleged that the election was characterised by various irregularities including the non-qualification of Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima to contest the election.
His other contention is the allegation that Tinubu failed to win the majority of the lawful votes cast in the election, and just as he could not secure one-quarter of the lawful votes cast in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT).