Presidential Tribunal: Tinubu, APC know fate Wednesday

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) will on Wednesday rule on the motions by the President-elect, Bola Tinubu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking for leave to inspect materials used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for last presidential election.

Justice Joseph Ikyegh’s led three-member panel, fixed the date after counsel to Tinubu and APC – Akintola Makinde and Omosanya Popoola – moved the four ex-parte motions they filed.

The time for the ruling has been fixed for 2pm.

Tinubu, through his counsel, Mr Akintola Makinde, said he would need to inspect, scan and make photocopies of some of the electoral materials to enable him to prepare his defence against petitions that would seek to nullify his election.

“The materials will be relevant in helping us to prepare our defence and also make comparison with the information contained in INEC’s back-end server”, Makinde added.

While Tinubu’s first ex-parte application, which was filed on March 6, has the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi as respondents, in the second application, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its own candidate, Atiku Abubakar, were cited as respondents, alongside INEC.

The appellate court, which will sit as the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, deferred ruling on Tinubu’s application till Wednesday.