Justice Tanko Mohammed, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) on Wednesday was announced as the leader of the five other justices of the Supreme Court to hear about six appeals in the case filed by the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in the Feb. 23 poll.
The other Justices are Bode Viviour, Olukayode Ariowola, Amiru Sanusi, Ejembi Eko and Uwani Aba-Aji.
DAILY POST reports that Atiku and his party had jointly filed their appeal before the apex court to challenge the September 11, 2019 judgment of the Justice Mohammed Garba-led Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.
The tribunal’s judgment, which Atiku and his party are dissatisfied with, had dismissed their petition challenging the outcome of the Feb. 23, 2019 poll.
Subsequently, the petitioners on Sept. 23, filed 66 grounds of appeal before the Supreme Court to challenge the judgment of the tribunal.
hey alleged that the panel of the presidential election tribunal erred in law “when they relied on ‘overall interest of justice’, to hold that the 2nd Respondent’s Exhibits R1 to R26, P85, and P86 were properly admitted in evidence.”
PDP also alleged among other reasons that the tribunal erred in law “when they held thus: “My firm view is that Section 76 of the Electoral Act is clearly inapplicable to the issues under consideration. The form referred to are the form to be used in the conduct of the election as FORM CF001 had been taken care of in Section 31 of the Electoral Act and the said FORM CF001 is tied to the steps laid down in the said Section 31 of the Electoral Act.
“More importantly, the law is firmly settled that a candidate is not required by the Constitution or the Electoral Act to attach his certificates to FORM CF001 before the candidate can be considered or adjudged to have the requisite educational qualifications to contest the election.”