The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has asked the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, and his party, to present their petition against the February 25 presidential election within three weeks.
The Court also ordered the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to defend his victory at the election along with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within five days.
Obi, through his counsel, Professor Awa Kalu, SAN, had requested for seven weeks to establish their allegations against the disputed election that produced Tinubu.
Chairman of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani issued the orders on Tuesday while presenting the pre-hearing session reports of the Court.
Among others, Justice Tsammani ordered that Obi must open his petition for hearing on May 30 and end same on June 23.
The Court said that it arrived at the decision because of the limited time within which the petition must be disposed off.
Immediately after the order of the Court was handed down, Obi, who was in court to witness the proceedings took permission from the Court and left on the ground that he and the his party were going to prepare for the full-blown hearing of the petition.
Meanwhile, the Court has ordered the consolidation of the petitions so as to ensure expeditious hearing of the petitions.
The Court threw out the vehement objection of Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the consolidation of the petitions.
