Supreme Court Panel Formation: Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, is expected to constitute the Supreme Court panel to hear the appeal arising from the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) judgment. The PEPC upheld the election of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the February 25, 2023, presidential election. The 14-day deadline for filing the appeals ends soon.
Legal Teams’ Actions: The legal teams of presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are working to file their appeals before the deadline. Peter Obi’s legal team may file the appeal on Tuesday. Both candidates do not plan to change their legal representation.
Supreme Court Panel Members: The identities of the Supreme Court Justices who will make up the panel are still unknown. The panel is expected to be constituted by Chief Justice Ariwoola by Wednesday, which is the deadline for filing the appeals.
Call for CJN Recusal: The Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, Timothy Osadolor, has advised Chief Justice Ariwoola not to be part of the panel due to concerns about his past statements endorsing a group opposed to the PDP’s leadership. Osadolor believes that the CJN’s membership on the panel could raise questions about impartiality.
Candidates Retaining Lawyers: All three presidential candidates, Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi, will retain the Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) they hired for the legal battle. Tinubu hired 50 SANs, while Atiku and Obi engaged 19 and 20 SANs, respectively, for their legal representation.
National Assembly Seat Changes: The article also highlights the outcomes of election petition tribunals affecting National Assembly seats. Several seats were nullified, leading to reruns and changes in the composition of legislative chambers. The APC and PDP both lost and gained seats in different states.
These developments showcase the legal challenges and changes in the political landscape following the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria.