Atiku and the PDP announced on Saturday their plan to call not more than 100 witnesses to testify in their case before the PEPC.
By Emma Ogbuehi
The Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) has hinted of plan to consolidate the three remaining petitions challenging the outcome of the last presidential election.
The petitions are those filed by presidential candidate of the Peoples 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.
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.
Meanwhile, Atiku and the PDP announced on Saturday their plan to call not more than 100 witnesses to testify in their case before the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC).
Their lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN) disclosed this at the resumption of proceedings before the PEPC this morning.
Uche said the anticipated 100 witnesses will include those already listed and those to be subpoenaed.
Lawyer to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said his client plans to call two witnesses, the President-elect, Bola Tinubu to call 39 in addition to those to be subpoenaed, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) plans 25 witnesses, in addition to those to be subpoenaed.
