The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) on Monday declined the request made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to dismiss the petition filed by the Allied People's Movement (APM), challenging Tinubu's qualification for the February 25, 2023, Presidential election. Tinubu, represented by his lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, attempted to utilize a Supreme Court judgment delivered on May 26, 2023, as grounds for terminating the APM's petition, but the court rejected the request. Tinubu's argument was based on the belief that the Supreme Court had already addressed the sole issue raised in the APM's petition through a judgment in a case brought forward by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He sought to rely on the spirit and content of the Supreme Court judgment to halt the proceedings concerning the APM's petition. However, Presiding Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani disagreed with Tinubu's position and emphasized the importance of providing the APM with a fair hearing, thereby rejecting Tinubu's request. Justice Tsammani advised Tinubu to present his objections to the petition during the final address stage of the court's proceedings. The APC, through its counsel Charles Edosomwen SAN, also raised similar objections to the petition on the same grounds, but they were dismissed by the PEPC for the same reason. The APM, represented by lawyer Mr. Gideon Ijiagbonya, informed the court that they had received the Supreme Court judgment that Tinubu sought to employ to terminate their petition. Upon reviewing the judgment, the APM's legal team concluded that their petition still held merit and requested for its hearing. However, Ijiagbonya requested an adjournment until June 26 to obtain a crucial document from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen their case. Justice Tsammani rejected the one-week adjournment and instead scheduled the hearing of the petition for Wednesday, June 21.
