BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

ABUJA – The Abuja division of the Court of Appeal, yesterday, reserved judgment on a petition seeking to stop the independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from conducting presidential election in the country come April.

The Peoples Mandate Party, PMP, and its presidential candidate at the 2007 presidential election, Dr Arthur Nwankwo, filed the case before the appellate court.

A panel of five justices, led by Justice Muhammed Garba, who are sitting as the Presidential Election Tribunal, yesterday, adjourned the petition for judgment after counsel to the petitioners, Mr Nnabuike Edechime,  and counsel to the respondents, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, and Mr Kanu Agabi SAN, concluded their arguments for and against the case.

Though the appellate court failed to fix a date for the judgment, it, however, said it would communicate the judgment date to all the parties in the matter.

The PMP and Dr Nwankwo, in an application they filed on January 18, 2011, sought an order of interlocutory injunction restraining INEC, Chief Electoral Officer at the 2007 presidential election, Chief Returning Officer of the election and Resident Electoral Commissioners for the 36 states of the Federation and Abuja from conducting any fresh presidential election in Nigeria in April 2011 or any other date.