Atiku, Obi know fate as S/Court gives judgment today

By Vivian Okejeme Abuja

The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver its judgment on Thursday, in the cases of Peter Obi of Labour Party and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
The Petitioners are before the Apex Court challenging the ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) in favor of Tinubu.
In a Notice of Appeal predicated on 35 grounds, Atiku told the apex court that the tribunal in the judgment delivered by Justice Haruna Tsammani erred on the side of law and miscarriage of justice in its findings and conclusion in the petition.
He maintained that the Tribunal erred in law when it failed to nullify the presidential election held on February 25, 2023, on the grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022, when by the evidence before the tribunal, INEC conducted the election based on grave and gross misrepresentation contrary to the principles of the Electoral Act 2022, based on the “doctrine of legitimate expectation”.
Obi on his part, wants the Apex Court to set aside the whole findings and conclusions of the Tribunal on the grounds that they did not represent the true picture of the grounds of his petition.
Reacting, counsel to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents respectively, urged the court to dismiss the appeal for want of merit and for being frivolous.
Specifically, Tinubu’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun SAN described Atiku’s appeal as abusive in nature and ask it to dismiss it.
Tinubu urged the apex court to act in like manner of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT), by not only dismissing the appeal for lacking in merit and bona fide, but affirm his victory.
Counsel to the INEC and APC also asked the panel to dismiss the appeal for want of merit.