The case filed by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar contesting the results of the February 25 presidential election has been postponed by the Presidential Election case Court (PEPC) in Abuja.
The five-member panel, presided over by Justice Haruna Tsammani, deferred the meeting so that pre-hearing issues could be addressed and the respondents’ pending applications could be heard.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), President-elect Bola Tinubu, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are respondents in the case.
During the adjournment, Justice Tsammani stated that the court would decide on the number of witnesses allowed for each party, allocate time for their presentation, and determine the duration of cross-examination.
He encouraged the parties to collaborate and reach agreements on further modalities to be adopted.
The joint petition by Atiku and the PDP, marked CA/PEPC/05/2023, seeks, among other things, the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return issued to the President-elect by INEC.
The petitioners argue that Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of the presidential election was invalid due to non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.
They further claim that Tinubu’s election was marred by corrupt practices, asserting that he was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast.
Atiku also requests the court to declare him the winner of the presidential election, as he secured the second-highest number of lawful votes.
The court will resume proceedings on Friday to address the pending issues and determine the next steps in the case.
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