Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi Appeal to Court for Copies of Judgement

Atiku Abubakar  the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  in the 2023 presidential election, have written a letter to the Court of Appeal, expressing their concern over the delay in receiving the certified true copies (CTCs) of the judgement delivered by the Presidential Election Petitions Panel (PEPC) on Wednesday.

iexclusivenews reports that the letter, which was signed by Chris Uche, a senior lawyer and the head of PDP legal team, on Friday, stated that the tribunal did not fulfil its promise of making available the copies of the judgements by September 7.

The letter also stated that the delay will affect their ability to file an appeal before the Supreme Court within the 14-day window provided by the law.

The Tribunal’s Ruling and Its Implications

The PEPC had declared on Wednesday that the petitions submitted by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, as well as other parties, in dispute of the results of the election did not provide enough evidence to support their claims.

The tribunal had dismissed their petitions and upheld the victory of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, the presidential candidate and running mate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The tribunal’s ruling has significant implications for the political landscape of Nigeria, as it means that Tinubu and Shettima will remain in office for another four years, unless their opponents can successfully challenge their verdict at the Supreme Court.

However, to do so, they need to obtain the copies of the judgement from the Court of Appeal as soon as possible.

 The Urgency of Obtaining the Copies of Judgement

According to the letter written by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi’s legal team, they have already lost two days out of the only 14 days available to them to file their appeal.

They emphasized that their request is one of extreme urgency, as any day that goes by depletes their time and affects their constitutional right of appeal.

They are not alone in their plight, as other parties who contested the election results have also made similar appeals to the court, seeking immediate release of the documents.

Labour Party and its presidential candidate have also written to the court, stating that they need the copies of the judgement urgently, given the volume of work that must be done within the short period they have to file Supreme Court briefs.

The Court’s Response and Next Steps

The Court of Appeal has not yet responded to the requests made by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, as well as other parties.

It is unclear what is causing the delay in releasing the copies of the judgement, or when they will be made available.

However, it is expected that the court will act swiftly and responsibly, in order to ensure that justice is served and that all parties have a fair chance to exercise their right of appeal.

Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have expressed their confidence in their case and their hope for a favourable outcome at the Supreme Court.

They have also thanked their supporters for their prayers and solidarity, and urged them to remain calm and peaceful.