Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have also stated that they will appeal the tribunal’s decision to the Supreme Court.
Atiku’s primary lawyer, Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told journalists shortly after the 13-hour-long verdict that he had already received his client’s directive to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
“We have our client’s strong instruction to appeal the judgement,” Mr Uche said.
Similarly, Mr Obi’s lead attorney, Livy Uzoukwu, a SAN, voiced the Labour Party’s presidential candidate’s disappointment with the court ruling.
“Our clients are dissatisfied with the judgement just delivered. I have the firm instruction of our client to challenge the judgement on appeal,” the senior lawyer said.
Speaking on the difficulties of electoral litigants to prove their suits, Mr Uzoukwu warned that “electoral jurisprudence” would disappear.
“We have to be very careful in this country, otherwise, electoral jurisprudence will disappear.
“When those who contest elections find it difficult to establish their case, they may resort to other means which might not be quite good,” he said.
The panel had stated that all parties will be given a certified true copy of the judgment.
Earlier in the courtroom, Mr Uche requested a copy of the judgment from the panel so that he could begin the filing procedure immediately and meet rigorous deadlines.
However, in response to the request, Mr Tsammani, the leader of the presidential election petition court’s five-member panel, stated that copies of the judgment would be made available to parties in the dispute on Thursday.
