Election Tribunal: Atiku suffers another setback in Supreme Court

By Peters Monday, Abuja

The Supreme Court has rejected an application for appeal by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abubakar Atiku.

Congress gathered that Atiku had approached the court to file fresh evidence in his petition challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25 presidential election.

The PDP presidential candidate was seeking the apex court to overturn the victory of Tinubu, which was upheld by the Presidential Election Petitions Court. Delivering judgment, Justice John Okoro, who led a seven-member panel of the court, held that the application violated the provisions of the Electoral Act, which prohibits the amendment of an election petition after 21 days.

“The application to file fresh evidence runs foul of the provisions of the Electoral Act that prohibits the amendment of election petition of 21 days of the election petition,” Justice Okoro said. Justice Okoro further held that the Supreme Court could not activate Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act after 180 days had lapsed at the lower court.

According to the supreme court, the application lacked merit and could not be entertained.