The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja, has postponed further proceedings regarding the Allied Peoples Movement (APM)’s challenge to the 2023 presidential election results until Friday.
Although the APM’s petition was previously combined with those submitted by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party (LP) candidate Mr Peter Obi, Tuesday’s hearing saw a pause to the APM’s case.
This was prompted by a recent Supreme Court decision, brought to the attention of the court by President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s legal representation. The APM is contesting Tinubu’s presidential election victory.
Tinubu’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun, argued that the APM’s sole claim that Vice President Kashim Shettima had been nominated twice prior to the presidential election had already been addressed by the Supreme Court in a recent ruling.
“In this wise my lords, this particular petition which has just been called in respect of which the sole issue that is being ventilated is the nomination of the 1st Respondent who we represent,” Olanipekun explained.
“We promise that within the next two days, certified true copies of the judgement will be made available.”
The APM’s counsel, Mr S.A.T. Abubakar, requested an adjournment to review the Supreme Court decision.
Legal representation for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr Abubakar Mahmood, and the APC, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, did not oppose the postponement request.
Consequently, Justice Haruna Tsammani-led’s panel agreed to postpone proceedings until Friday.
The APM’s petition alleges that the withdrawal of Mr Ibrahim Masari, the original Vice-Presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), made Tinubu’s candidacy invalid under Section 131(c) and 142 of the 1999 Constitution.
President Tinubu and the APC have filed motions to contest the validity of the petition, which they argue lacks merit.
Pending this, the court has allowed APM to present its proposed single witness.
