By Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Supreme Court has fixed Friday November 15 to furnish Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lawyers, politicians, Nigerians and the entire international community its reason for the dismissal of Atiku and PDP’s appeal against the return of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The apex court in a unanimous judgment delivered on October 30, dismissed the appellants suit for lacking merit.
Atiku and PDP had in their joint appeal filed in September, challenged the entire judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which affirmed the election of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The apex court which dismissed the appeal less than two hours after it was heard by its seven member panel of Justices, however said that reason for the dismissal of the appeal will be given at a date that would be communicated to parties in the matter.
“Having gone through the briefs for over two weeks we have come to the conclusion that this appeal lacks merit. This appeal is hereby dismissed. Reason will be given at a date to be communicated to parties”, Chairman of the panel and Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Ibrahim Muhammad had held.
However, nearly two weeks after the judgment, the apex court on Wednesday notified lawyers to parties in the appeal that it had fixed Friday November 15, 2019, to make its reasons for dismissing the appeal known.
The notice to lawyers in the matter, a soft copy sighted by THISDAY, dated November 13, 2019, was signed by Ibrahim Gold, a Registrar at the Supreme Court.
It reads, “IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA HOLDEN AT ABUJA.
SC 1211/2019: Atiku Abubakar & anor V. INEC & 2 Ors.
“TAKE NOTICE that the REASONS FOR THE JUDGEMENT delivered on Wednesday the 30th day of October 2019 in the above named Appeal will be listed before the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday the 15th day of November, 2019 at 9.00am.
“AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that in accordance with the Supreme Court Rules, this Notice is deemed sufficiently served on you if it is delivered on your telephone”.
