The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammadu, is leading the seven-man panel scheduled to hear the appeals in respect of the case instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to challenge the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari at the February 23, 2019 poll.
Justice Muhammad and other six members of the panel filed into the courtroom at about 9.09 a.m. on Wednesday set for the hearing.
Other members of the panel are Justices Bode Rhodes-Vivour, Kayode Ariwoola, John Okoro, Amiru Sanusi, Ejembi Eko and Uwani Abba-Ajji.
The National Chairmen of both the PDP and the All Progressives Congress – Uche Secondus and Adams Oshiomhole, respectively, are also seated in the courtroom with a handful of their party supporters.
Atiku and his party had jointly filed their appeal before the apex court to challenge the September 11, 2019 judgment of the Justice Mohammed Garba-led Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
The tribunal’s judgment which Atiku and his party are dissatisfied with had dismissed their petition challenging the outcome of the February 23, 2019 poll.
Subsequently, the petitioners on September 23, 2019, filed 66 grounds of appeal before the Supreme Court to challenge the judgment of the tribunal.
They prayed the Supreme Court to nullify Buhari’s victory and either order that Atiku be declared as the valid winner of the poll or order the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh presidential election.
