Following an agreement by all the parties involved, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPC, sitting in Abuja has moved further proceedings on the petition of Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, against Bola Tinubu’s victory at the 2023 presidential election, to May 17.
Obi and the LP had, informed the court that the parties met and agreed to ask for an adjournment to enable them to file and exchange necessary legal documents since there were many processes and motions yet to be filed in the matter.
Cited as 1st to 4th respondents in the petition are the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC; the President-elect, Bola Tinubu; Vice-President-elect, Kashim Shettima, and All Progressives Congress, APC
Uzoukwu, SAN, maintained that the adjournment would enable an expeditious hearing and determination of the case.
“My Lords, we met and agreed that the matter should be adjourned till next week Wednesday, so that when we are coming back, we will be sure that the processes are ripe for hearing.
“We also agreed that before then, we will meet and take decision on documents that are not in contention and documents that are controversial,” Uzoukwu added.
On its part, INEC, through its lawyer, Mr. A. B. Mahmood (SAN), confirmed that the parties met and agreed to ask for an adjournment after a brief meeting they held on Wednesday afternoon
In same vein, counsel representing Tinubu and Shettima, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), accepted the adjournment saying: “so that when we come on Wednesday all the applications will be ready for adoption,” he added.
Similarly, counsel for the APC, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said his client believed that the adjournment would hasten the proceedings.
