The Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has revealed that they are considering consolidating the three remaining petitions that challenge the outcome of the last presidential election. This would mean that the three separate petitions would be combined into one case, which would be heard together by the same panel of judges. The decision to consolidate the petitions is likely to streamline the legal process and potentially speed up the resolution of the cases. It is also expected to bring about greater clarity and consistency in the interpretation of the law. The move is seen as a positive step towards ensuring a fair and just resolution to the election dispute.
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The petitions are those filed by presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) Atiku Abubakar, the PDP; Peter Obi and LP and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
At the resumption of the pre-hearing session in the petition by Atiku and the PDP on Saturday, Justice Tsammani asked lawyers in the case to address the court on whether the surviving petitions should be consolidated as provided in Paragraph 50 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2022.
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The Paragraph states: “Where two or more petitions are presented in relation to the same election or return, all the petitions shall be consolidated, considered and be dealt with as one petition unless the tribunal or court shall otherwise direct in order to do justice or an objection against one or more of the petitions has been upheld by the tribunal or court.”
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Lawyers to parties however sought time to consult and report back to court on the issue, following which the court adjourned further pre-hearing session in the petition by Atiku and the PDP till Monday.
The court is on the petition by Obi and the LP
