On Tuesday, the Labour Party expressed concern that neither the party nor its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has received the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court’s judgment confirming President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 poll.
They asserted that the apex court did not issue a judgment on Obi’s case against Tinubu, deeming the situation both embarrassing and disheartening.
The Supreme Court concluded the 171-day legal battle on October 26 by rejecting election appeals from Obi and his Peoples Democratic Party counterpart, Atiku Abubakar.
In Justice Inyang Okoro’s lead judgment, the court declined to consider President Tinubu’s academic records from Chicago State University, which Atiku intended to submit as fresh evidence in support of his certificate forgery claim against the former Lagos governor.
However, one month after the judgment was delivered, LP claims the apex court is yet to furnish the party and Obi, the CTC of judgement.
LP’s statement
Umar Farouk, LP’s national secretary on Tuesday revealed that the party has not received the CTC of the judgement even after applying for it.
He also revealed that the party also sent a reminder letter on November 8 to the Supreme Court.
“The LP had, out of an abundance of caution, by letter dated October 27, 2023, applied to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court for the certified true copy of the judgment in the LP appeal. There was a reminder through another letter on November 8, 2023. However, to date, the requests have been ignored.
“The LP is also aware that by the provision of Section 294(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), every court established under the Constitution (which necessarily includes the Supreme Court) has a duty to furnish all parties to the cause or matter determined with duly authenticated copies of the decision within seven days of the delivery thereof. The Supreme Court has failed to do this in the present appeal.
“In conclusion, the LP finds it very embarrassing and depressing that the Supreme Court would, after hearing the appeal by our party, refuse to deliver any judgment and also fail to avail our party of any copy of whatever it considers to be its decision. This constitutes an unmitigated breach of the constitutional right of LP and her candidate to a fair hearing.”