PEPC: Tinubu, APC bar lawyers from speaking with press
*Consolidated petitions by LP, APM, PDP for hearing May 30, adoptions of final addresses on August 8
BY ANDREW OROLUA
President-Elect Ahmed Bola Tinubu whose victory at the February 25, 2023 general election is being challenged at the Presidential Election Petition Court ,PEPC, has barred lawyers in his legal defence team from speaking with the press.
The restrictions include granting media interview on the proceedings and any issue relating to the presidential election or side comments which could form story except submissions of the lead counsel in court.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, Adeniyi Akintola conveyed the decision of the team to the court at the Tuesday’s proceedings.
Akintola did not adduce any reason on why the respondents: Tinubu and All Progressive Congress, APC, choose to prevent the public from knowing what transpired in court as cameras are not allowed inside the courtroom.
The senior lawyer said that the ban on media interview by the legal team would be strictly observed and enforced
According to Akintola, the 38 SANs representing Tinubu and the APC took the decision along with their clients in one of their meetings not to talk to the media on the proceedings at the Court.
The Court had on Monday refused to grant Atiku and Obi’s request for live streaming of the proceedings regarding their petitions.
Presiding Justice of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani however reacted to Akintola remark in the open court yesterday, and said that ‘journalists should be allowed to do their work’.
The court had earlier during the presentation of pre -hearing session’s report, observed that lawyers have taken over the public gallery, such that there was no seat left for the public to sit and observe the proceedings.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) on Tuesday ordered the consolidation of the petitions filed by Peter Obi of the Labour Party, the Allied People’s Movement (APM) and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic (Party) challenging the outcome of February 25, 2023 presidential election.
PEPC also allocated days and time within which the petitioners counsel and the respondents’ lawyers would present their petitions and defences .
Justice Haruna Tsammani, the Presiding Justice of the five member panel of the Court of Appeal said that the consolidation of the petitions was in line with Paragraphs 50 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2022.He said that it is aimed at ensuring speedy hearing within the time allowed by law.
He said the petitioners would open their cases on May 30, Tuesday next week and adopt their final written addresses on August 8, 2023 while the court would adjourn to deliver judgment before September 16, 2023 when the petitions would elapse.
The court ordered the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party LP, Mr Peter Gregory Obi , his party and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and PDP to present their witnesses and cases against the February 25 presidential election within three weeks each.
The Court also ordered the President- elect who is the target of the petition, Bola Tinubu to defend his victory at the election along with the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC within five days each.
Obi through his counsel, Professor Awa Kalu SAN had requested for seven weeks to establish their allegations in the disputed election that produced Tinubu but the court reduced it to three weeks in its pre- hearing sessions’ report presented to the parties yesterday.
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Among other specific orders, Justice Tsammani ordered that Obi must open his petition for hearing on May 30 and end same on June 23.
The Court said that it arrived at the decision because of the limited time within which the petition must be disposed off.
Immediately after the order of the Court was handed down, Obi who was in court to witness the proceedings took permission from the court and left on the ground that they were going to prepare for the full blown hearing of the petition.
While Atiku will between June 24 and July 16 present his witnesses and the parties in the petition adopt their final written addresses on August 8.
The court said that issues for determination raised by the parties were so many and varied, therefore it will on its own distilled the issues that will address the complaints.
On its part, the court gave the Allied Peoples Movement ,APM, one day the 30 of May it earlier requested to present it’s petition. But the petitioner and respondents including Kabiru Masari who is the 5th respondents would on July 3, 2023 adopt their final written addresses.
During the hearing of the petitions, star witnesses would be allowed to testify for 30 minutes maximum and cross examine by respondents for 15 minutes and re-examine if need be for 5 minutes.
