Justice Haruna Tsamani has been appointed as the Chairman of the five-member panel of Justices of the Presidential Election Petitions Court sitting at the Court of Appeal in Abuja that will hear and determine the five petitions challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the president elect.
Other members of the panel are Justice Stephen Adah, who is the presiding Justice of the Asaba Division of the Court of Appeal, Justice Misturat Bolaji-Yusuf, Justice Boloukuromo Ugo and Justice Abba Mohammed.
The presiding Justice, Justice Tsamani, in his opening remarks said the Court should be addressed as the Presidential Election Petition Court and not a “Tribunal“ and warned against sensational statements for the safety of the country.
He said there were five applications before the court but only three of them would be heard today.
The applications include that of Action Alliance against INEC, APC, Bola Tinubu and Hamza El Mustapha.
The second application is Action Peoples Party, APP, against Bola Tinubu, APC and INEC, while the 3rd application is between Peter Obi & Others against INEC, Bola Tinubu, Kashim Shetiima and APC.
While that the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and it’s Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar would be heard tomorrow
In his remarks, the lead counsel representing APC, Chief Wole Olanipekun promised lawyers’ support in whatever the Court intends to do in giving accelerated hearing in the petitions.
Lead Counsel to Atiku and the PDP, Chief Chris Uche aligned himself with Olanipekun in assuring the court of the support of his team in delivering justice in the matter.
Lead Counsel for Peter Obi and the Labour Party, Mr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, also pledged the support of his team to enable the court resolve the petitions seamlessly.
Meanwhile, parties present in court are Mr. Peter Obi and the factional National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Julius Abure, the governor of Plateau state, Simon Lalong representing the APC and a representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
