Presidential Poll: Obi’s Petition Against Tinubu To Continue, May 17

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPC, sitting in Abuja has deferred further proceedings on the petition the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi, filed to challenge the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, to May 17.
The adjournment followed an agreement by all the parties in the matter.
Cited as 1st to 4th respondents in the petition are the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC; the President-elect, Bola Tinubu; Vice-President-elect, Kashim Shettima, and All Progressives Congress, APC.
Obi and the LP had, immediately proceedings resumed on the matter, told the court that the parties met and agreed to ask for an adjournment to enable them to file and exchange necessary legal documents.
He told the court that there were many processes and motions yet to be filed in the matter.
Uzoukwu, SAN, maintained that the adjournment would enable an expeditious hearing and determination of the case.
“My Lords, we met and agreed that the matter should be adjourned till next week Wednesday, so that when we are coming back, we will be sure that the processes are ripe for hearing.
“We also agreed that before then, we will meet and take decision on documents that are not in contention and documents that are controversial,” Uzoukwu added.
On its part, INEC, through its lawyer, Mr. A. B. Mahmood (SAN), confirmed that the parties met and agreed to ask for an adjournment after a brief meeting they held on Wednesday afternoon.
Likewise, counsel representing Tinubu and Shettima, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), said the adjournment was necessary “so that when we come on Wednesday all the applications will be ready for adoption,” he added.
Similarly, counsel for the APC, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said his client believed that the adjournment would hasten the proceedings.
Meanwhile, after it had listened to all the parties, the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel acceded to the adjournment request.
The court directed the parties to identify core issues to be determined in the petition.
It, thereafter, adjourned the matter for continuation of the pre-hearing session.
Specifically, the LP candidate, Obi, in his petition prayed the court to declare that Tinubu was not duly elected by majority of the lawful votes cast at the election.
In the petition he hinged on three grounds, Obi insisted that at the time of the election Tinubu was not qualified to contest.
He argued that as at the time Tinubu’s running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, became the vice presidential candidate, he was still the nominated candidate of the APC for the Borno Central Senatorial election.
Obi and the LP further challenged Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the presidential election, alleging that he was previously fined $460,000 by the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, in Case No: 93C 4483, for an offence involving dishonesty and drug trafficking.