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| President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar (L) |
Parties to the dispute over the February 23 presidential election won by President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are to know their fate this week.
The Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) must give judgment in the suits instituted by the parties not later than September 14, as provided in Section 134 (1) to (3) of the Electoral Act, the petitions having been filed on March 18.
Apart from Buhari and the APC, other litigants are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar. They are challenging Buhariโs victory.
Although the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has up to September 14, 2018 as provided in Section Section 134 (1) to (3) of the Electoral Act, the petition having been filed on March 18, 2019, the verdict may be delivered on Friday, September 14 being Saturday.
A reliable source said: โWe are aware that the court is working towards September 13, 2019 for the judgment.
โYou know they (the court) have up to September 14, by virtue of the provision of the Electoral Act, the petition having been filed on March 18 this year.
โSo, we are comfortable with the date, because it is still within time. It will afford the petitioners the time to work on their appeal.โ
The PEPC, sitting in Abuja, last sat on August 21, 2019 and adjourned for judgment after entertaining final submissions from lawyers to parties.
Presiding Justice Mohammed Garba, announced, while adjourning proceedings on August 21, that parties would be notified when the court decides on a date for judgment.
Some lawyers to parties in the case said they were yet to be informed by the court about a date for judgment.
โMy friend, we have not heard from the court. You know we were last there on August 21 for the final adoption, following which the court adjourned for judgment and promised to inform parties.
โAs I speak, we are yet to be informed. I donโt know if others ave been sent hearing notice. But we are yet to receive any,โ a senior lawyer to one of the parties said.
The petitonersโ legal team had last week written the PEPC and prayed that it, among other things, promptly deliver its judgment in their petition.
While making their final submissions on August 21, Buhari and the APC, the Independent National electoral Commission (INEC), who are respondents to the petition, noted that the petitioners failed to disprove the claim that Atiku is not a Nigerian by birth and as such was not qualified to contest the election.
Buhari, APC and INEC described the petition by Atiku and the PDP, challenging the outcome of the election as worthless and time-wasting. They noted that the petitioner, in prosecuting the petition, starved it of necessary evidence and urged the court to dismiss it with substantial cost.
