The Presidential Election Petitions Court will commence the pre-hearing of the petitions challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the President-elect on Monday, May 8.
Tinubu’s legal team confirmed that Monday’s hearing was to clarify whether or not there were any such applications before the main hearing will start.
The court had stopped receiving replies from the petitioners on April 23.
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On March 1, Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Bola Tinubu the President-elect.
Tinubu had garnered the majority of votes in the polls, with 8.8 million votes, defeating Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 6.9 million, Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), who amassed 6.1 million, and 15 others.
However, Atiku and Obi have both filed separate petitions disputing the result, seeking orders to either annul the election or declare themselves the winners of the polls.
Atiku, the PDP presidential candidate anchored his seven prayers on five grounds and has asked the Presidential Election Tribunal to declare him the President-Elect.
The Former Vice President urged the court to cancel the February 25th election and order a fresh one due to alleged irregularities that marred the polls in thousands of polling units.
Atiku and the PDP argued that as of March 1st when Tinubu was declared the winner of the election, the entire results and accreditation data from polling units had not been transmitted and uploaded by INEC.
The petition also alleged that the election was characterised by various irregularities including the non-qualification of Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima to contest the election.
Peter Obi, who came third in the election, also alleged that the election was characterised by various irregularities including the non-qualification of Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima to contest the election.
He further alleged that Tinubu failed to win the majority of the lawful votes cast in the election, and just as he could not secure one-quarter of the lawful votes cast in the FCT.
Meanwhile, citizens await a main timetable for the hearing of the raised matters.
