[FULL LIST] Supreme Court Constitutes Seven-Member Panel To Hear Atiku And Obi’s Appeals Against Tinubu

The Supreme Court has formed a seven-member panel of justices to hear appeals lodged by three presidential candidates challenging the results of the February 25 election.

Notices of the hearing have been served on the presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Peter Obi (LP), and Chichi Ojei (APM). The notices, signed by Zainab M. Garba from the office of the registrar, are deemed sufficiently served on the parties as per the Order 2 Rule 1(2) of the Supreme Court’s Rules 1985 as amended.

The panel members assigned to oversee the appeals are Justices Adamu Jauro, Uwani Musa Abba Aji, Lawal Garba, Helen M. Ogunwumiju, I.N. Saulawa, Tijjani Abubakar, and Emmanuel Agim.

Atiku’s appeal maintains that the Presidential Election Petitions Court made an error when dismissing his petition on the grounds that the petitioners failed to prove allegations of irregularities in the presidential election, the 25 percent requirement in the FCT, $60,000 forfeiture, and the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit the results from the polling units to the IREV using BVAS as provided in its laws and guidelines. Additionally, Atiku requested leave to file Tinubu’s alleged forged academic records.

Peter Obi argues that the tribunal’s refusal to accept the blurred results from 18,088 polling units was a miscarriage of justice. Chichi Ojei asserts that Tinubu and his deputy, Kashim Shettima, were disqualified due to invalid nominations for the offices.

In response, Tinubu’s counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), requested the court to deem Atiku’s petition as an abuse of court process and lacking in merit. Tinubu also described Obi’s petition as a jamboree and devoid of merit.