The Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC has snubbed the opposition of the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress Bola Ahmed and consolidated the three petitions challenging his qualifications and emergence as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.
The Court in the pre-hearing session report presented on Tuesday by Justice Stephen Jonah Ada announced the consolidation of the three petitions instituted by Peter Obi of the Labour Party LP, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, and the Allied People’s Movement APM.
The Court agreed with Atiku’s lawyers that given the time-bound nature of the petitions, especially for expeditious hearing purposes, it was proper and appropriate to merge them in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
Justice Ada while announcing the consolidation said the Court took the decision because the three petitions are related to the same election and same declaration of results.
Tinubu had strongly opposed the consolidation, claiming that the interest of justice would not be met.
But Atiku and PDP who saw the objection to consolidation as a ploy to delay quick disposal of the three petitions, had prayed the Court to adopt the move to be able to do substantial justice to their respective grievances against Tinubu’s election.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani has fixed May 30 for the hearing of the three petitions.
CHECKPOINTCHARLEY 