by Ebere Agozie
The Supreme Court on Thursday held that it lacked jurisdiction to admit fresh evidence in the appeal of the judgment of the presidential election petition tribunal.
The suit marked SC/ /2023 CA/PEPC/05/2023 was filed Atiku and the PDP as the Appellants while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tinubu Bola Ahmed and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are the Respondents.
The Appellants in the Notice of Appeal said they were “dissatisfied with the decision more particularly stated in paragraph 2 herein, contained in the consolidated judgment of the Court of Appeal (sitting as the Presidential Election Petition Court), coram:- Haruna Simon Tsammani, JCA, Stephen Jonah Adah, JCA, Misitura Omodere Bolaji-Yusuff, JCA, Boloukuroma Moses Ugo, JCA, and Abba Bello Mohammed, JCA delivered 6th September 2023 in Petition No. CA/PEPC/05/2023 between Abubakar Atiku & Anor vs Independent National Electoral Commission & others.
Particularly contained from pages 487 to 752 of the consolidated judgment (as well as the concurring contributions and rulings thereto) doth hereby appeal to the Supreme Court upon the grounds set out in paragraph 3 and will at the hearing of the appeal seek the reliefs set out in paragraph 4.”
The Presidential Election Petition Court had dismissed the petition filed by the PDP and Atiku challenging the election of President Bola Tinubu.
The tribunal also dismissed the petition of Peter Obi of the Labour Party, challenging Tinubu’s election, describing it as “unmeritorious”.(NAN)