Delay In Obtaining CTC Of Supreme Court Judgment Stalls Hearing Of APM’s Petition Against Tinubu, Shettma, Others

The delay in the Supreme Court’s release of its May 26 judgment on the case by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalled Friday’s scheduled hearing in the petition file before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

The Supreme Court had, in the judgment, dismissed the case by the PDP in which the party sought to void the joint ticket of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettma as presidential and vice presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last election.

The PDP had, in its case claimed that Shettma violated the Electoral Act by allowing himself to be nominated twice for two different offices – Borno Central Senatorial district and Vice President.

Upon being informed about the Supreme Court judgment on May 30, the PEPC adjourned the hearing in the petition by the APM, which raised the same issue as in the PDP case, till Friday.

Parties were to report today on the status of the petition in view of the judgment, which dealt with the same issue of the alleged double nomination of Shettma.

At the mention of the petition on Friday, the petitioner’s new lawyer, Yakubu Maikasua (SAN) told the court that his client was yet to access a certified true copy (CTC) of the judgment to enable it to take a position on its effect on the status of their petition.

Lawyers to other parties, including Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) for the APC also confirmed the development, following which Maikasua applied that the case be further adjourned till next Friday.

Without any objection from the respondents’ lawyers, Justice Haruna Tsammani, the court’s Presiding Justice, adjourned till June 9 for hearing in the petition.