Posted by By Tony Orilade/Abuja on
Justices of the Supreme Court, led by the Chief Judge of Nigeria, Justice Idris Kutigi, this morning, began hearing the appeal filed by Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) candidate in the 2007 presidential election, against the election of president Umaru Yar'Adua.
Justices of the Supreme Court, led by the Chief Judge of Nigeria, Justice Idris Kutigi, this morning, began hearing the appeal filed by Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) candidate in the 2007 presidential election, against the election of president Umaru Yar'Adua.
The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal had earlier thrown out the petitions filed by Buhari and his Action Congress (AC) counterpart, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, against the election of Yar'Adua, for lack of merit.
Hearing was about to commence in the appeals filed by Buhari and Atiku, this morning, when Yar'Adua's lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), prayed the court to allow him file an additional brief for Yar'Adua.
The prayer was promptly granted and full hearing fixed for Thursday, 25 September, 2008.
Buhari and Atiku were absent in court but their lawyers were present.
Buhari's lawyer, Chief Mike Ahamba, told journalists after the proceedings that his client was determined to see to the final conclusion of the case.
Following the judgement of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal on 26 February, that Umaru Yar'Adua was duly elected as the president, voiding the applications of Atiku Abubakar and Muhamadu Buhari seeking the nulification of the election, the duo headed straight for the Supreme Court.
The tribunal had dismissed their petition on the grounds that they were unable to prove their claims beyond reasonable doubt and convince the tribunal that Yar'Adua was rigged into power.
Faulting the judgement, Atiku and Buhari filed appeals at the Supreme Court for an order to set aside the election that produced Umaru Yar'Adua as president.
The judgement of the Presidential Electon Petitions Tribunal had attracted criticisms from political stakeholders following the elevation of the Tribunal chairman, Justice James Ogebe, to the position of a Supreme Court Justice, few days before delivering judgement.
It was believed, by opposition political parties, that Ogebe's elevation was aimed at swaying the tribunal's ruling in favour of the ruling party and its presidential candidate, who they believed was rigged into power.