Presidential election: Again, court fixes date for hearing of petition filed by APM against Tinubu’s victory

 

The petition brought before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) has once more been postponed until June 21 for hearing.

The court had fixed June 19 to commence hearing of the petition filed by the APM challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25 election.

At the resumed hearing, the party asked for a one-week adjournment which was turned down by the court.

The party had applied to the court for a date to commence hearing of its petition against the results of the presidential election which had earlier been delayed over their inability to obtain a Supreme Court judgement.

The ruling of the apex court being sought is the recent judgement which dismissed the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) suit seeking to nullify President Tinubu’s election based on allegations of double nomination against his running mate, now Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

The party claims the ruling is necessary for them to make progress in their case because it had far-reaching pronouncements which are relevant to certain core issues of dispute in its case.

Lawyers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC, and President Tinubu raised no objection to the request for adjournment as they prayed the court to adjourn the hearing of the petition till June 20, 2023.

The presiding judge, Haruna Tsammani, after listening to both sides, granted the application and adjourned the case till Wednesday June 21 for commencement of hearing.