The Supreme Court, sitting in Abuja as presidential election petition panel on Thursday, ruled that it lacked the jurisdiction to hear the appeal of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the 25th February election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on the academic records of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The seven-member panel, led by Justice John Okoro, ruled that, the trial court, having not tried the new charges on President Tinubu’s academic record, it could not assume original jurisdiction, as stipulated in the constitution and the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended).
Justice Okoro, who read the unanimous judgement, said that jurisdiction, “is the fulcrum upon which every court decision is based. I must emphasise that it is trite that election proceedings are their unique class”.
The 180 days prescribed by the law lapsed on 17th September, Justice Okoro noted.
Details later…
