APM opens, closes case in petition against Tinubu’s election

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) on Wednesday opened and closed its case in its petition challenging the declaration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.

The party, in its petition numbered, CA/PEPC/04/2023 seeks the nullification of Tinubu’s election on the ground of double nomination of the Vice – Presidential candidate of the APC, Kashim Shettima.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, after a futile attempt by President Tinubu and the APC to shut it out of the petition, the petitioner called its lone witness, Aisha Abubakar who gave evidence in aid of its petition.

Led in evidence by the lead counsel to the APM, Gideon Idiagbonya, the witness identified and tendered the five witness statements on oath she deposed to at the registry of the court.

The witness, who is the assistant welfare officer of the APM, also tendered her membership of the party card as evidence in the matter.

Other documents tendered and admitted as exhibits by the court are, declaration of results sheet Form EC8E, notice of withdrawal of Kabiru Masari as Vice Presidential candidate of APC, Kashim Shettima’s notice of withdrawal as Borno Central Senatorial candidate of APC (Form EC11C), letter of voluntary withdrawal written to APC by Shettima as Senatorial candidate of APC for Borno Central Senatorial District affidavit in support of personal particulars for nominations of Shettima as Vice Presidential candidate of APC (Form EC9), affidavit of personal particulars for nominations of Ibrahim Kabiru Masari as Vice Presidential candidate of APC (Form EC9) and affidavit in support of personal particulars for nominations of Lawal Kaka Shehu as Borno Central Senatorial candidate of APC.

At the end of the cross-examination of the witness by INEC, APC, Tinubu, Kashim Shettima and Kabiru Masari, who are respondents in the petition, Idiagbonya announced the closure of the case of the petitioner.

Consequently, the court gave the petitioner ten days to file and serve its final written address and gave the respondents seven days to file and serve their final written addresses in the petition.

The court then, fixed July 14, 2023, for adoption of the final written addresses of the parties in the petition.