The Supreme Court of Nigeria has denied recent reports claiming the withdrawal of five justices from the panel scheduled to hear the appeals of Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 presidential election.
Dr. Festus Akande, the Director of Press and Information at the Supreme Court, emphatically assured the public that the panel remains intact and will duly hear the appeals today, as previously scheduled.
Contrary to the rumours circulating online, Akande clarified the situation: “This is not true. The panel is ready. You will see all the Justices tomorrow (today). There is no crisis anywhere, as claimed by those online platforms.”
He dismissed the claims of a crisis within the Supreme Court, reaffirming the court's commitment to upholding justice.
In addition to the appeals of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, the Supreme Court is also set to hear the appeal filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
Furthermore, a motion filed by Atiku Abubakar requesting permission to submit additional evidence will be addressed during the hearing.
It is noteworthy that similar false claims were previously circulated during the proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).
At that time, unfounded rumours suggested that Justice Boloukuoromo Moses Ugo had resigned from his position. However, investigations revealed that these claims were baseless, and Justice Ugo had not resigned, contrary to what was alleged.