PEPC overrules Obi on 7 weeks request to present case

The Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, has overruled the request of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi to establish his allegations against the disputed election that produced Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on February 25.

PEPC ordered Obi and his party to present their joint petition within three weeks instead of the seven weeks requested.

The court also ordered the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who is the target of the petition, to defend his victory at the election along with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, within five days.

Chairman of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, issued the order on Tuesday while presenting the pre-hearing sessions report of the Court.

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Among others, Justice Tsammani ordered that Obi must open his petition for hearing on May 30 and end the same on June 23.

The Court said that it arrived at the decision because of the limited time within which the petition must be disposed of.

Immediately after the order of the Court was handed down, Obi, who was in court to witness the proceedings, took permission from the court and left on the grounds that they were going to prepare for the full blown hearing of the petition.

Meanwhile, the Court has ordered the consolidation of the petitions so as to ensure expeditious hearing.

The Court threw out the vehement objection of Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the consolidation.