Panel Admits 844 Documents From Yar'Adua - Daily Champion

Posted to the web 7 December 2007

Mebrim Uchechukwu
Abuja

PRESIDENTIAL Election Petitions Tribunal yesterday fixed January 28, for adoption of written addresses from all parties in the petition filed by former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and former head of state, retired Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, challenging the election of president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and Vice President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2007 presidential election.

The panel also admitted 844 documents as tendered by Yar'Adua as results from all the polling stations across the country in the presidential poll.

The petitioners had opposed the election documents sought to be tendered by Yar'Adua from all the states of the federation and the federal capital territory on the grounds that they were not earlier pleaded in the respondent's statement of defence.

The panel, despite stiff opposition from the petitioners admitted the documents presented by counsel to President Yar'Adua, Chief Wole Olanipekun, and that presented by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as the Nigerian Police.

Ahead of the adoption date, the Panel of court of Appeal Justices headed by Justice James Ogebe gave the respondents 21 days to effect service of their written addresses on the petitioners while the petitioner was given 20 days to reply, after which the respondents will have seven days to reply on point of law.

While Chief Olanipekun furnished the panel with the certificate of return of Yar'Adua and Jonathan as president and vice president of the federal republic of Nigeria respectively, INEC represented by one of their counsel, Amaechi Nwaiwi (SAN), tendered results of the said election from the 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory, Abuja .

Against this backdrop, Chief Olanipeku, argued that Yar'Adua won the election overwhelmingly

The police on their part, tendered guideline for the 2007 election, for the conduct of the force.

Meanwhile, the Atiku's lawyers including Chief Emeka Ngige and Festus Keyamo did not raise any objection to the results of the elections that was conducted in Lagos state. Full Story