ABDULLAHI, PCA (Delivering the Lead Ruling): The petitioner on 2nd day of May, 2003, filed his petition. On the 21st day of May, 2003, he filed an application for leave to amend the petition even though he was still within time for presenting the petition. The applicant is asking for nineteen different reliefs in his application for amendment, some of which are substantial whileothers are fairly routine. The reliefs asking for substantial or material amendment cannot be granted in view of the fact that they would have the effect of energizing the petition in certain respect.
At this stage, no application for amendment which is capable of giving life to an otherwise anaemic petition can be entertained. Paragraph 14(2) of the first schedule of the Electoral Act No. 4 of 2002 is pertinent. It provides thus:- 14(2) After the expiry of the time limited by -
Section 154 of this Act for presenting the election petition, no amendment shall be made: introducing any of the requirement of sub-pa…