Court in Abuja hearing on the complaints filed by opposition political parties and their candidates challenging the president-elect, Bola Tinubu’s victory.*
*The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Mr Tinubu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the 25 February poll.*
*The petitioners include the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the Labour Party, with its candidate, Peter Obi.*
*The rest are the Action Alliance (AA), the Action Peoples Party (APP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).*
*The petitioners allege INEC’s non-compliance with the Electoral Act as well as other fraudulent practices by Mr Tinubu and his agents during the election.*
*With Mr Tinubu’s victory mired in unprecedented litigation, the election petition court commences sitting today, Monday, to determine the disputes.*
*At today, Monday’s proceedings, the panel was inaugurated while the template for adjudicating on the various petitions was reeled out.*
*Inaugural sitting held between 9.14am and 10.30am.*
*10.30am: Panel went on a break.*
*10:45am: Court resumes sitting.*
*10:46am: Action Alliance’s petition called.*
*10:47am: AA’s national chairman, Adekunle Omo-Aje, announces appearance in court.*
*10:48am: Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, introduces self as Mr Tinubu’s representative.*
*10:48am: Court says Mr Lalong cannot represent Mr Tinubu, but APC.*
*10:50am: Oba Maduabuchi (SAN) announces appearance for the AA party.*
*10:56am: Confusion ensues as Malachi Umuebe also announces appearance for the AA party.*
*10:58am: Mr Maduabuchi insists Mr Umuebe does not represent the AA.*
*11:00am: Court discountenances Mr Umuebe’s appearance because he didn’t file any petition on behalf of the AA party.*
*11:01am: Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) announces appearance for INEC.*
*11:13am: Wole Olanipekun (SAN) announces appearance for Bola Tinubu, president-elect.*
*11:19am: AA’s lawyer, Mr Maduabuchi informs court of his application seeking to withdraw his client’s petition challenging Mr Tinubu’s victory.*
*11:23am: INEC lawyer, Mr Mahmoud says he has no objection to the withdrawal of the petition by AA.*
*11:24am: APC lawyer, Mr Fagbemi did not object to the withdrawal of the petitioner’s lawyer.*
*11: 25am: Mr Tinubu’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) also agrees with the withdrawal of the petition.*
*11:26am: Mr Al-Mustapha’s lawyer, Sani Mohammed, has no objection to the withdrawal of the petition.*
*11:33am: Court dismisses AA’s petition.*
*11:35am: Court calls another petition filed by Action Peoples Party (APP)*
*11:36am: Peter Abang announces appearance for Action Peoples Party (APP)*
*Mr Abang is the National legal adviser of APP.*
*11:38am: Obed Agu announces legal representation for APP.*
*11:41am: Wole Olanipekun (SAN) announces appearance for Mr Tinubu (respondent).*
*11:46am: Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) announces appearance for APC.*
*11:50am: Abubakar Mahmoud announces appearance for INEC.*
*12:05pm: Lateef Fagbemi, APC’s lawyer informs court of his preliminary objection to APP’s petition.*
*12:09pm: INEC lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud, informs court of his client’s pending applications in response to APP’s petition*
*12:11pm: Court adjourns APP’s petition until Wednesday, 10 May for continuation of hearing of the petition.*
*12:19pm: Court calls Peter Obi’s petition challenging Mr Tinubu’s victory.*
*12:20pm: Mr Obi announces appearance.*
*12:21pm: Obiora Ifoh, Labour Party’s national publicity secretary, announces self as LP’s representative.*
*12:22pm: May Agbamuche-Mbu announces appearance on behalf of INEC.*
*12:23pm: Simon Lalong, Plateau State governor, announces appearance for APC*
*12:24pm: Labour Party’s lawyer, Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), announces appearance.*
*12:31pm: INEC lawyer, Mr Mahmoud announces appearance.*
*12:35pm: Wole Olanipekun announces appearance as lawyer to Mr Tinubu and vice president-elect, Kashim Shettima.*
*12:40pm: APC’s lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi, announces appearance.*
*12:45pm: Mr Obi’s lawyer, Livy Uzoukwu, informs the court that he filed answers to questions raised in his client’s petition.*
*12:49pm: INEC lawyer, Mr Mahmoud, informs court that the electoral commission has filed its responses to the pre-hearing questions.*
*12:50pm: Wole Olanipekun, Mr Tinubu’s lawyer, informs court that his client has filed his answers to the pre-hearing questions.*
*12:53pm: APC’s lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi, says he has filed answers on behalf of his client to the pre-hearing questions of the court.*
*01:00pm: Court adjourns Peter Obi’s petition until Wednesday, 10 May.*
_*Stay tuned as to enjoy a blow by blow account of what look like the most interesting legal fireworks which is about to set a judicial and constitutional precedence in the history of our nation democratic frameworks…..*_
