Legal teams of the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) in the February 25, 2023, presidential election, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, respectively, have received the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).
The PEPC had on Wednesday delivered judgment on the appeals arising from the presidential election, upholding the election of President Bola Tinubu.
Reacting, Atiku and Obi had rejected the court’s judgment, vowing to approach the Supreme Court.
A 798-page document, which appeared to be the copy of the judgement given to the legal team of the All Progressive Congress (APC), went viral on Friday. The document was signed by the Secretary of the PEPC and dated September 8, 2023. This led to speculations as to why the copy of the judgement should be released to the ruling party without being handed also to the opposition.
Recall that Atiku, through his Special Assistant on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, had, in a statement issued on Friday, slammed the PEPC for allegedly failing to release the certified copies of the judgment to the former vice president’s legal team.
“By not making available to Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, the Certified True Copies of the judgment of Wednesday for its filings at the Supreme Court, the Presidential Election Petition Court is undermining Atiku’s and Nigerians’ quest for justice,” Shaibu had claimed.
Both candidates have now confirmed the receipt of the judgment.
“I have a copy of the judgment; they are scanning it at the moment,” Obi’s lead counsel, Dr Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), confirmed to Saturday PUNCH.
Also, Atiku’s lead counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), confirmed the development.
“Yes; we have just received it,” he said.
The legal teams are expected to study the judgment and prepare their appeals to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court has a maximum of 60 days to hear and determine appeals from the PEPC.
The PDP and LP have 14 days to file their appeals at the Supreme Court.
