Again, improper arrangement of documents by counsel stalls PEPC proceedings

Court could not rule on admittance of the document tendered from the nine LGAs of Kogi due to improper arrangement of documents

Jun 6, 2023 - 13:16

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Again, improper arrangement of documents by counsel stalls PEPC proceedings

Justice Tsammani

By Solomon Onyilo

Proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja in a petition by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, challenging the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu were stalled on Tuesday by improper arrangement of documents by counsel to the petitioner.

At the resumed sitting on Tuesday, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, counsel for the petitioners (Atiku and PDP) sought the leave of the court to tender certain documents which include, a certified true copy of notice of discontinuance in a case marked, SC/CV/254/2023.

The matter is between Attorney-General of Adamawa state and six others with the AGF as respondent initiated in the Supreme Court which was withdrawn and Certified true copy tendered and admitted by PEPC.

The counsel also tendered INEC certified true copy of form EC8E from nine Local Government Areas of Kogi state.

However, the court did not rule on admittance of the document tendered from the nine Local Government Areas of Kogi due to improper arrangement of the said documents.

Atiku's lawyer, therefore, requested an adjournment to enable him arrange the documents the petitioners wish to tender before the court.

Cited in the petition as respondents were the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) which did not object to the adjournment.

The five-man panel headed by Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani adjourned hearing on the petition till June 7.

A similar mix-up of documents had forced the court to adjourn proceedings last week in the petition filed by Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate against the election of President Tinubu.