PEPT judgement: 25% of FCT votes not needed to win Presidential election
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) started and concluded hearing on the petition by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) on Wednesday.
The whole proceedings lasted for about two and half hours.
APM is challenging President Bola Tinubu’s election on the grounds that his running mate, Kashim Shettma was not qualified to contest having allegedly engaged in double nomination.
Petitioner’s lawyer, G. O. Idiagbonya presented his client’s case by calling a witness, Aisha Abubakar, who described herself as the APM’s Assistant Welfare Officer.
Idiagbonya made the witness to adopt her five written statements on oath and tendered some documents through her, following which he announced the closure of the petitioner’s case.
She was cross examined by lawyers to the respondents, during which the May 26 judgment of the Supreme Court in the case by the PDP, where the apex court held that Shettima never had double nomination, was tendered.
The respondents – INEC, APC, Tinubu, Shettma and Kabir Masari – elected not to call evidence, but to rely on the May 26 Supreme Court judgment and a letter dated June 12, 2022 notifying INEC of the withdrawal of Shettma as a senatorial candidate of the APC for Borno Central Senatorial district.
The court then ordered each of the respondents to file and serve final written address within 10 days, it gave the petitioner seven days, from the date of being served by the respondents, to also file and serve it’s final written address, the respondents are to subsequently their reply.
It then adjourned till July 14 for the adoption of all final written addresses, following which a date will be set for judgment.
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