The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed the petition by Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar and his party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party challenging the election of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 2019 Presidential Election.
The court held, in the lead judgment read by Justice Mohammed Garba, which was supported by other Justices of the tribunal, held that the petitioners failed to prove their case.
Meanwhile, main opposition political party the Peoples Democratic Party said it completely rejected the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on the petition of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, against the electoral victory of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement said the judgement was provocative, barefaced subversion of justice and a direct assault on the integrity of the nation’s justice system.
He said that PDP was particularly shocked that the tribunal allegedly failed to point to justice despite, what he called, the flawless evidence laid before it, showing that Buhari was not only unqualified to contest the election but also did not score the majority of valid votes at the polls.
He said, “PDP finds it as bewildering that a court of law could validate a clear case of perjury and declaration of false information in a sworn affidavit, as firmly established against President Muhammadu Buhari, even in the face of incontrovertible evidence.
“The party is also rudely shocked that the Court took over the roles of the Respondents’ lawyers who clearly abandoned their pleadings by refusing to call evidence in defence of the petition. The court raked up all manner of excuses to make up for the yawning gaps occasioned by the total absence of any evidence from the Respondents.”
