The Presidential Election Petition Court has resumed sitting to hear the written address of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, against President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s February 25 election victory.
Atiku, Nigeria’s Vice-President from May 1999 to May 2007, appeared in court today (Tuesday).
The purpose of today’s hearing is primarily for the parties to adopt all of their numerous arguments that are already before the court.
Following that, the court would either set a date for judgment or reserve judgment.
The petitioners — the PDP and Atiku, as well as the Labour Party (LP) and its flag bearer, Peter Obi — are requesting that Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 election be declared null and void.
They are both hoping to be declared the winner of the election or to have a rerun.
The parties filed and exchanged final written addresses, the most recent of which was Tinubu’s response on July 24 to Atiku and the PDP’s final written address.
While Obi and the LP called 13 witnesses, submitted several documents, and finished their case on June 23, Atiku and the PDP summoned 27 witnesses, submitted numerous documents, and closed their case on June 23.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) called one witness, turned over some papers, and ended its case against Obi and his party on July 4.
On July 3, it also completed its case with the same witness who testified in Atiku and the PDP’s suit.
Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shettima, as well as the APC, closed their case in both petitions on July 5.
Despite the fact that Tinubu and Shettima’s counsel called one witness and supplied documents, the APC did not call any witnesses in its defense in either case. The ruling party, on the other hand, presented papers, including judicial judgements.
The three respondents (INEC, APC, and Tinubu) urged the court to dismiss the petitions, claiming that the petitioners failed to provide substantial evidence to support their claims.
