Election: 7-Man Panel of Supreme Court Reserves Judgment In Atiku, LP’s Appeal, Dismisses APM’s Appeal

In the appeal filed by Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Court, which upheld President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the race for president, the Supreme Court has deferred making a decision.

It also rejected the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and withheld decision in the Labour Party’s (LP) appeal.

After the parties’ attorneys accepted their argument papers and submitted their final arguments on Monday, the court’s seven-member panel, presided over by Justice Inyang Okoro, delivered the announcement

The motion made by Atiku to provide new proof on forged documents was also debated by attorneys representing the parties before the supreme court.

Atiku Abubakar’s attorney, Mr. Chris Uche, pleaded with the court to grant the motion, accept their appeal, grant the requested pleas, and disqualify Tinubu.

The court was persuaded to dismiss the application and appeal due to lack of merit by the respondent attorneys, Abubakar Mahmoud representing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Wole Olanipekun representing President Tinubu, and Akin Olujinmi representing the All Progressives Congress (APC).

When the court reconvened, it heard the appeal of the APM. The party was urged to withdraw its appeal as it did not have prayers for determination.

Counsel for the APM, Machukwu Umeh, subsequently withdrew his appeal.

The respondents did not object to the withdrawal. The apex court thereafter dismissed the appeal.