The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, PEPT, has purportedly fixed Saturday, September 16 as the date to make its final decision on the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
The tribunal is expected to deliver its last ruling in the suit challenging President Bola Tinubu’s electoral victory. Tinubu had been the flag bearer of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the February 25 elections.
Recall that after adopting the final written addresses of the political parties involved in the suit, the five-man tribunal led by Justice Haruna Simon Tsamani had delayed judgment, saying that a date to deliver the verdict would be made known to the concerned parties and their lawyers.
Several unverified sources had however, claimed on Monday, August 28, that the tribunal had already selected September 16 as day of judgment.
The sources have claimed that the reported date was the final day, available for the tribunal to announce its judgment on the three petitions set in motion by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the Labour Party, LP, and the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, in conjunction with their presidential candidates, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for PDP; Mr. Peter Obi, for LP and Princess Chichi Ojei, for APM respectively.
The defendants in this suit are Tinubu, the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Note that the PEPT has yet to make an official statement regarding the date to deliver its final ruling.