A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court will today hear the appeals by Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi challenging the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Court which affirmed President Bola Tinubu’s election.

Members of the panel, which have yet to be unveiled, will hear the appeals by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) challenging the election of Mr Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja headed by Haruna Tsammani had ruled that Atiku and Mr Obi failed to substantiate their separate claims of widespread electoral malpractices during the conduct of the 25 February presidential election by Nigeria’s electoral commission, INEC.

The court also dismissed another petition filed by the APM on the ground that the suit was lacking in merit.

The issues raised in the appeals include the eligibility of President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima’s candidacy for the election.

The appellants also raised the issue of Mr Tinubu’s inability to secure 25 per cent of valid votes cast in Abuja during the polls.

They are also contesting INEC’s failure to electronically transmit polling unit results to its Results Viewing (IReV) portal in real-time and allegations of vote manipulation in favour of Mr Tinubu.

Atiku, Mr Obi and the APM all filed separate appeals to challenge the decision of the court.

Another key bone of contention before the seven-member panel of the Supreme Court is Mr Tinubu’s academic records which were obtained from the Chicago State University (CSU) in October by Atiku.

Atiku has already filed the president’s educational documents before the court, urging it to examine the authenticity of Mr Tinubu’s academic records from CSU.

However, Mr Tinubu’s lead lawyer, Wole Olanipekun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), in court filings said Atiku and Mr Obi’s appeals lack substance.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the appeal filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) challenging the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) affirming President Bola Tinubu’s victory.

Justice Inyang Okoro, leading six other apex court justices, dismissed the appeal, saying that hearing it would amount to “a waste of the precious time of the court’’.

In the appeal, the APM prayed the court to hold that the PEPC misconceived the material facts before it when it struck out its undefended petition against Mr Tinubu’s victory.

The party asked the court to hold that the withdrawal of Kabiru Masari from the race, by operation of law, amounted to automatic withdrawal and invalidation of Mr Tinubu’s candidature as the APC presidential candidate.

Mr Masari was named the running mate of Mr Tinubu before Vice President Kashim Shetima replaced him.

The APM said in its brief of argument by its counsel, Chukwuma-Machukwu-Ume, SAN, that the PEPC wrongly struck out its petition.

The party prayed the court to set aside the lower court’s decision as being misconceived.

The PEPC had dismissed APM’s petition based on pre-hearing motions filed by INEC, APC and Mr Shettima.

According to the APM, the grounds upon which its petition was predicated was that Mr Tinubu was not qualified to contest in line with Section 134(1)(a) of the Electoral Act, 2022, at the time of the presidential election.

Mr Machukwu-Ume told the court that the PEPC misconceived his client’s material facts and case and wrongly progressed to determine issues not contemplated by the appellant’s petition and erroneously dismissed the petition.

However, efforts by Mr Machukwu-Ume to move the appeal were rejected by the panel on the grounds that moving it would amount to wasting the court’s precious time.

Justice Okoro, the presiding justice, insisted that the appeal be withdrawn since the issue had been decided.

“You are not asking us to make your candidate the president if your appeal succeeds.

“You just want to state the law and go home without benefit. We have other appeals that are substantial, and withdrawing this appeal will help reduce the workload on us.

“We have read the appeal and are unanimous that it is a non-issue, having been pronounced upon by this court,’’ Mr Okoro said.

Mr Machukwu-Ume, though reluctant, accepted and withdrew the appeal on behalf of his client, the APM.

All the respondents did not oppose the withdrawal or ask for cost.

The seven-member panel consequently dismissed the appeal after the appellant withdrew it. 

(NAN)

In a bid to enhance food and nutrition security across Nigeria, the Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, CON, has affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to collaborating with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and various stakeholders.

This partnership aims to address critical concerns such as food security, post-harvest losses, and malnutrition.

The announcement was made through a press statement issued on Friday by the Chief Information Officer of the Ministry, Eremah Anthonia.

During a recent courtesy visit to the Ministry’s office by the Country Director of GAIN, Dr. Micheal Ojo, in Abuja, Sen. Abubakar Kyari highlighted the importance of food security as a key focus area within President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The agenda places significant emphasis on agriculture, food security, and good nutrition for the Nigerian populace.

Sen. Abubakar Kyari conveyed, “We were given the mandate to ensure that the country is food secured, and we are ready to collaborate with partners to ensure its actualization and sustainability.”

The Minister stressed the current threats to food security, particularly issues of availability and affordability.

He emphasized the necessity of addressing malnutrition and rising food inflation rates by working diligently throughout the year to boost food production.

The goal is to make food accessible, affordable, and nutritionally balanced on a sustainable basis.

Recognizing the underlying challenges, Sen. Abubakar Kyari called for innovative and trending solutions to ensure a resilient food security framework.

He encouraged the active participation of GAIN and other stakeholders in the upcoming Agricultural Summit, urging them to contribute to a practical and sustainable document for the benefit of the populace.

In response, Dr. Micheal Ojo, the Country Director of GAIN, acknowledged the fruitful relationship the organization has had with the Ministry and expressed hope for its continuation to revolutionize the country’s food system.

Dr. Ojo highlighted the critical challenge of Food and Nutrition affecting a majority of Nigerians, emphasizing GAIN’s goal to deliver a healthy diet to over 25% of the population, including Nigeria.

Collaboration with the Ministry in improving food value chains such as maize, rice, and cassava was also emphasized.

In a related meeting, the Minister welcomed a delegation from Anhui Huayun Biotech Co. Ltd., led by the Managing Director, Mr. Wang Yun.

Mr. Yun pledged support to Nigeria in the areas of agriculture mechanization and irrigation systems, including solar pumps, to effectively tackle the challenges of food insecurity in the country.