Court docket Fixes Date To Hear Go well with Looking for Atiku’s Disqualification

A Federal Excessive Court docket, Abuja, has mounted September 14 to listen to a go well with filed towards the Peoples Democratic Celebration (PDP) and its Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed mounted the date after granting a movement on discover for an extension of time filed by Priscila Eje, counsel to the PDP, Atiku and Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State.

The movement was granted after it was not opposed by a lawyer to the plaintiffs, Wilfred Okoi.

Naija Information stories that the go well with was instituted on June 3 by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State (1st plaintiff) and Michael Ekamon (s2nd plaintiff) difficult the final presidential main election of the celebration.

Though Wike was talked about as one of many plaintiffs within the go well with marked FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022, the governor had since denied being behind the go well with.

Whereas the PDP is the first defendant, the Independents Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC), Tambuwal and Atiku are 2nd to 4th defendants respectively within the go well with.

Okoi advised the court docket that he had been served with a counter affidavit by PDP, Tambuwal and Atiku.

Wike, within the go well with, sought amongst different prayers, the court docket’s pronouncement declaring him the PDP’s presidential candidate for the 2023 election.

Objecting to the go well with by their counsel, Kunle Ajibade (SAN), Atiku, the PDP and Tambuwal described the go well with as frivolous, unknown to legislation and never cognisable underneath a pre-election matter.

The defendants stated the primary plaintiff didn’t take part within the main election and lacked the requisite locus standi to institute the go well with.

The PDP Atiku and Tambuwal additionally acknowledged that the go well with, as introduced by the candidates, doesn’t fall throughout the purview of Part 84 of the Electoral Act, as such doesn’t qualify as a pre-election dispute.

The fourth floor was that the go well with was not initiated by due strategy of the legislation.

They, subsequently, sought an order of the court docket putting out or dismissing the go well with in its entirety for need of jurisdiction.

Though Wike had, lately, denied submitting any go well with towards the celebration and its presidential candidate, the celebration and others had been represented in court docket, besides INEC’s counsel, who was not within the court docket.