Atiku, Peter Obi suit against Tinubu, INEC to begin May 8

The 2023 presidential election petition tribunal is set to begin on Monday, May 8.

Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party have been reported to lock horns to challenge the victory of Nigeria's president-elect and flagbearer of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Confirming the date for the much anticipated presidential election petition on May 2, the national legal adviser to the APC, Ahmad El-Marzuq said they are ready to commence the hearing and defend their mandate.

El-Marzuq said:

“We have been briefed about the hearing coming up next week."

When asked if the tribunal will come to a close before May 29 presidential inauguration, El-Marzuq said:

"But who told you the election petitions at the tribunal must necessarily be concluded before May 29?

“Are you saying if they were not concluded before President Buhari leaves office, the government should be left in a vacuum and the president-elect should not be sworn in? It is not a must."

Also confirming this development, a member of Tinubu's legal team, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) said:

"Yes the hearing is on Monday, but it’s for a pre-hearing session. The hearing is to clarify if there are any applications before the main hearing will start. The timetable will be set for the hearing of the substantive matters.”