The legal battle to unseat President Bola Tinubu will continue at the Supreme Court on Monday as the apex court has listed for hearing the election petition appeal filed by former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party standard bearer in the February presidential poll.
The Supreme Court Registrar, Zainab Garba, in a notice issued to the parties on Thursday, disclosed that the hearing proceedings in Atiku’s appeal would take place before the Supreme Court sitting in Abuja on October 23.
It read, ‘’Take notice that the above appeal/motion will be listed for hearing before the Supreme Court of Nigeria sitting at Abuja on Monday, October 23, 2023.
“And further take notice that in accordance with Order 2 Rule 1(2) of the Supreme Court Rules 1985, as amended, this notice is deemed sufficiently served on you if it is left at your address of service or sent by registered post and since the date of service by post is material, section 26 of the Interpretation Act, 1964, shall apply.
The Supreme Court Director of Information, Dr Festus Akande, also confirmed that Atiku’s election appeal had been slated for hearing on Monday.
The notification came as the House of Representatives expressed worries over the workload on the apex court.
The apex court currently has 11 justices, short of the required 21 stipulated by section 230(2) of the 1999 Constitution.
The green chamber resolved to call on the Federal Government to appoint new judges for the Supreme Court to ensure effective justice delivery in the country.
The resolution of the House followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Patrick Umoh, the lawmaker representing Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom State.
In the motion tagged, ‘Urgent need for the Federal Government to appoint new justices to the Supreme Court to ensure expeditious and effective justice delivery in the country,’ Umoh noted that “The Supreme Court of Nigeria is the apex court in the country with the jurisdiction to hear and determine causes and matters across the length and breadth of Nigeria.”
In its resolution, the House urged “The Federal Government to appoint nine new justices to the Supreme Court in order to expedite the hearing and determination of matters for effective and efficient justice delivery in Nigeria.”
It also mandated its Committee on Federal Judiciary to ensure compliance with the resolution.
Umoh had before the House resolution observed that the current number of justices of the apex court had dropped to an all-time low of 11 Justices, making it 10 justices short of its full complement of 21 justices, as stipulated by the Constitution.
The resolution read, “This is post-election season where the court has to hear and determine electoral matters from different parts of the country within a short period of time as mandated by the Constitution.
