Disregard technicalities, Chris Uche urges supreme court as hearing begins in PDP, LP appeals

Our reporter/ The Supreme Court on Monday began hearing on the appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and Allied Peoples Movement (APM), seeking the nullification of President Bola Tinubu’s election.

The panel of seven justices is led by Justice Inyang Okoro. Others are Justice , Uwani Abba-Aji, Ibrahim Saulawa, Justice Adamu Jauro, Justice Tijani Abubakar, Justice Emmanuel Agim and Justice Lawal Garba.

In attendance are the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje; LP chairman, Julius Abure; the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu and other party faithful.

At the hearing on Monday, the Counsel to Atiku Abubakar, Chris Uche, was the first to address the court on the Chicago State University results.

The senior lawyer argued that the issue involving the certificate, is a weighty one, grave and constitutional, which the Supreme Court should admit as fresh evidence.

According to him, the court has a duty to take a look at the certificate and reach a decision by avoiding the issue of technicality.

Justice Inyang Okoro asks him if the Supreme Court should rely on the Electoral Act or the Constitution.

Uche replies that the issue is a constitutional one that the court should look into.

Justice Emmanuel Agim asks what the nature of Atiku’s fresh documents that he seeks to tender before the court is.
He also asks if the testimony by the CSU Registrar was conducted in a court.

Justice Okoro further wanted to know why Uche wants the Supreme Court to brush aside constitutional provisions and entertain the fresh evidence.

Uche explained that section 233 of the constitution gives the court the power to entertain whether a person was properly elected.

However, in his argument, counsel to President Bola Tinubu, Wole Olanikpekun, says the question of 180 days is clear.

He wondered where the court would compartmentalize Atiku’s fresh evidence. He describes it as an application in wonderland and ought to be dismissed as it lacks merit.

He added that the court is bound by law, and the law should be interpreted as it is, and not how it ought to be.

Additional reports from channels television