TheCable

The presidential election tribunal has commenced pre-hearing in the suit filed by Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, challenging the election of Bola Tinubu as president-elect.

At the pre-hearing session on Tuesday, Chris Uche, counsel to Atiku and the PDP, told the court that he has filed the necessary processes for pre-hearing.

Uche also told the court that he has filed a motion, seeking to have the proceedings televised due to the national interest around the case.

The senior advocate said the application should be given priority at the commencement of the hearing.

Lawyers to the respondents in the suit noted that they had filed their various responses to the petition.

Lateef Fagbemi, counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), also told the court that he has filed two motions seeking to dismiss the petition and to strike out the responses of the petitioners.

Other lawyers for the respondents are Abubakar Mahmoud, for INEC and Akin Olujinmi for Tinubu.

The respondents also said they will file their responses within the time allowed by the rules of the court.

After counsels adopted their various responses, a five-member panel of the tribunal led by Haruna Tsammani, ordered the lawyers to meet and harmonise their positions in respect of documents to be tendered, those they will object to and those to allow.

The panel adjourned further pre-hearing to Thursday by 2 pm.

Earlier, the tribunal also had a pre-hearing session for the petition filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

The party, through its team of lawyers led by M. O . Atoyebi adopted answers filed on April 21, in response to a pre-hearing information sheet that was issued by the court.

All other parties adopted their answers and the court adjourned to Thursday for continuation.