Atiku, Buhari to Know Fate Wednesday as Tribunal Set to Deliver Judgment

By Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has fixed Wednesday for delivery of its judgment in the petition filed by candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, against the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The five man panel headed by Justice Mohammed Garba had on August 21 reserved judgment in the petition to a date that would be communicated to parties shortly after all lawyers in the petition adopted and argued their final written addresses.

Information reaching THISDAY however revealed that the tribunal has fixed tomorrow for judgment barely five days to the expiration of the life of the suit.

One of the government’s counsel in the matter, who craved anonymity, confirmed that the tribunal communicated the date for judgment to parties on Tuesday.

The judgment if delivered tomorrow falls within the 180 days provided by law for the determination of electoral matters.

While the election was held on February 23, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on February 27 declared President Muhammadu Buhari as winner of the presidential poll.

However not satisfied, Atiku and his party had approached the court to challenge the victory.

In their joint petition filed on March 18, 2019, they insisted that they and not Buhari and APC won the presidential election of February 23, 2019.

According to them, INEC had connived with Buhari, APC and agents of the Federal Government including the military, to rig the election in favour of Buhari.

They therefore urged the tribunal to nullify the victory of Buhari and declare them winner of the February 23 presidential election.

Equally, the petitioners asked the tribunal to nullify Buhari’s participation in the election on grounds that he did not possess the necessary academic qualifications for the office of President and that President Buhari submitted false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to aid his qualification for the said election.

Details later…