The Supreme Court will today deliver its judgment in? the appeal by the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) against the decision of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal which affirmed the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan and his deputy, Namadi Sambo, in the April 16 presidential election.
The CPC had named the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its national chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega; Jonathan, Sambo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and 36 resident electoral commissioners as co-respondents to the matter.
A full panel of the apex court headed by the chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher, and Justices Mahmud Mohammed, Walter Onnoghen, John Fabiyi, Olufunlola Adekeye, Bode Rhodes-Vivour and Sylvester Ngwuta? had on December 13, 2011, fixed today for the delivery of judgment in the CPC appeal, after all the parties in the matter had adopted their brief of arguments
Adopting its brief of argument, the CPC told the apex court that Jonathan and Sambo were not duly returned.
The CPC lead lawyer Mr. Oladip Oposeiyi (SAN) averred that if evidence of the appellant was put on proper scale, it would show that there was no clear winner or clear loser in the April 16 presidential election.
But the lead lawyer to Jonathan and Sambo, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) described the CPC appeal before the apex court as lacking in substance and merely an academic exercise. Besides, he had argued that the appeal was dead on arrival.
The CPC had? on November 11, 2011, filed? a notice of appeal? at the Registry of the Court of Appeal, and? on November? 28 filed its? appellant brief of argument? where it argued that the trial tribunal erred in law when it rejected documents required to prove irregularities.
Justice Kumai Bayang Akaahs who led justices of the Court of Appeal: Mohammed Garba, M.A Owoade, Igwe Aguibe, and Obande Ogbunya at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal had? on November 1, 2011, unanimously upheld the victory of President Jonathan? in the April 16 presidential election.?
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