4th September, 2023
Presidential Election Petition Court(PEPC) said it will deliver judgement on Wednesday 6 September in the petitions filed by Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and Allied Peoples Movement against the election of President Bola Tinubu.
Lawyers close to the parties initially told P.M.News that the judgment date was a rumour, as they were yet to be notified, as promised by PEPC chairman,
Justice Haruna Tsammani on 1 August, when judgment was reserved.
However a press statement by the chief registrar of the court, Umar Bangari confirmed the date. It comes four months after the court began hearing the petitions.
Bangari said the judgment in the three petitions will be relayed live on TV, “to promote transparency and openness”.
He also said access to the court premises will be strictly by accreditation.
“Only accredited individuals including counsel and representatives of political parties will be granted access into the courroom.
“Interested members of the public are advised to watch proceedings fgrom their TV sets”, Bangari stated.
The Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), petitioned the tribunal seeking to nullify the election of President Bola Tinubu as the winner of the February 2023 presidential election.
All the plaintiffs want President Tinubu to be disqualified for sundry reasons, while Labour Party and the PDP argued that the election was conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act.
Lawyers urged Nigerians to trash the news circulating that judgment will be delivered on Wednesday 6 September.
Justice Tsammani, chairman of the 5-man first reserved judgment on 14 July in the case brought by APM.
On 1 August, he also reserved judgment in the two petitions filed by Labour Party and Peter Obi, as well Abubakar and the PDP.
This was after the Court adopted the written addresses on preliminary objections and final written addresses of the Petitioners and Respondents.
In their written addresses, the respondents, representing the Independent National Electoral Commission, the All Progressives Congress and Presideent Bola Tinubu, urged the Court to adopt their processes and dismiss the petitions.
Lawyers to the petitioners urged the Court to rely and adopt all their addresses and allow the petitions by granting all the reliefs sought as the petitions are meritorious.
Justice Haruna Tsammani, after hearing all parties, reserved judgement on the Petition until a later date that will be communicated to the parties.
The PEPC made of five judges, Justice Haruna Tsammani as Chairman, Justice Stephen Adah, Justice Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf, Justice Boloukuoromo Ugo and Justice Abbah Mohamme, began hearing the petitions on 8 May.
Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, the Chairman:
Was educated at LEA Primary School, Tarawa Balewa, between 1967 and 1973 and Government Secondary School, Maiduguri between 1973 and 1978.
Tsammani went to Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria to read law between 1978 and 1982. He was called to the bar in 1983, after a year in the Law School in Lagos.
Ever thirsty for more knowledge, he went to Institute of Advanced Legal Studies at UNILAG, Abubakar Tarawa Balewa University in home state and University of Jos.
He was first appointed as a judge of the Bauchi state High Court in 1998 and 12 years. Later, he was appointed to the court of appeal.
Hon. Justice Stephen Jonah Adah:
Adah was born on 30 July 1957 in Dekina, Kogi state. He was first appointed as a judge of the Appeal Court in November 2012.
Young Adah had his primary education in four schools, from 1964. He spent the longest time at N.A. Primary School in Idah, where he passed out in 1970.
He went straight to St. Peters College, also in Idah for his secondary education, from 1971 to 1975.
After a year at Ilorin Teachers College, he went to School of Basic Studies at Ugbokolo for his A-Level and then Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to read law. He graduated in 1981 and was called to the bar in 1982.
He was appointed as a judge of the Federal High Court in 1998.
Justice Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf:
She was born in Oyo on 7 August 1959. After her primary education, she went to Iranian Grammar School, also in Oyo, where she spent just one session.
She then left for Bremen Asikuma Secondary School, Central Region of Ghana, where she finished her education in 1976.
In 1979, she was admitted to read law at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife. She completed the programme in 1983 and was called to the bar in 1984.
Misitura joined the bench of Oyo state in January 1997. In March 2014, she was appointed to the Court of Appeal.
Hon. Justice Boloukuoromo Moses Ugo:
Moses Ugo is the youngest judge on the panel. He was born 7 June 1965 in Kolokuma Bayelsa State.
He had his primary education at State School, Igbedi and secondary at Government Secondary School, Asoama, Sabagreia, all in Bayelsa.
Ugo read law at University of Calabar between 1985 and 1989. He was called to the bar in 1990.
He was appointed into Bayelsa High Court in 2006 and eight years after, became a judge of the Appeal Court.
Hon. Justice Abba Bello Mohammed: He is a most recently appointed judge of the Appeal Court. He was appointed in June 2021 from the FCT High Court.
Bello Mohammed was born on 19 February 1961. He is from Kano State.
He was educated at Tudor Wada Primary School( 1967-1974) and Government Secondary School Dambatta(1974-1979).
He also went to School of Preliminary Studies(1979-81), Institute of Admin, A.B.U. Zaria(1981-1984). He was called to the bar in 1985 and appointed a judge of the High Court of FCT in 2010.