The Labour Party’s Mr. Peter Gregory Obi has been directed by the Presidential Election Petition Court, or PEPC, to submit their joint petition contesting the February 25 presidential election within three weeks.
The petition’s target, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was also ordered by the court to appear in court within five days alongside INEC to defend his election win.
Obi had asked for seven weeks to prove his claims on the contested election that produced Tinubu with the assistance of his attorney, Professor Awa Kalu SAN.
On Tuesday, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, the court’s chairman, issued the directive while submitting the court’s pre-hearing sessions report.
Justice Tsammani mandated, among other things, that Obi commence his petition for hearing on May 30 and finish it on June 23.
The Court said that the short window of time in which the petition must be decided upon guided its conclusion.
Obi, who was there to observe the proceedings, requested permission from the court to leave as soon as the order of the Court was delivered, explaining that they would be getting ready for the full-blown hearing of the case.
To guarantee a quick hearing, the Court has in the meanwhile ordered the amalgamation of the applications.
The All Progressives Congress’ (APC) and Tinubu’s adamant opposition to the consolidation was rejected by the court.
