PDM candidate asks tribunal to nullify Buhari’s election

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, Pastor Aminchi Habu has asked the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to nullify the election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Habu is praying the tribunal to declare the February 23 election that produced President Buhari as winner null and void, adding that the name and logo of his party were unlawfully omitted from the ballot papers by INEC thereby denying him the opportunity of contesting the election.

Habu further said the party felt cheated by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over the development as it had spent a lot of money.

The PDM candidate is seeking five reliefs from the tribunal.

“The first petitioner (Habu) was validly nominated by the second petitioner (PDM) but unlawfully excluded by the first respondent (INEC) from the election into the Office of the President held on February 23, 2019.

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“A declaration that the second respondent being the candidate of the third respondent (APC) was not lawfully or validly returned as the winner of the said election by virtue of the unlawful exclusion of the petitioners.

“An order nullifying the return and declaration of the second respondent (Buhari) as the winner of the election held on February 23, 2019 for the Office of the President on the grounds of wrongful exclusion of the petitioners from the Presidential election held on February 23, 2019.

“An order directing the first respondent (INEC) to conduct a fresh election into the Office of the President within 90 days from the date of the judgment of the tribunal”, he demanded.

The petitioner and his party, the PDM, attached a copy of INEC’s timetable, the timetable of the PDM and schedule of preparations for the 2019 general elections, pictures of the PDM convention and presidential primary, a copy of a letter from the PDM to INEC containing the list of its candidates in the elections and a copy of the ballot paper of the presidential election showing the absence of the party’s name and logo to the petition.

Habu, who is a pastor and the Northern Evangelism coordinator of the Lord Chosen Charismatic Renewal Ministries, said in his statement on oath that he purchased the presidential form of the PDM for N5m after which he visited the 36 states of the federation to seek support of party members.

He said after he emerged winner of the primary, the PDM forwarded his name to INEC.

“The first respondent (INEC) without any lawful cause, wrongfully excluded my name, my party and our logo from the ballot paper and all other electoral materials and documents used for the February 23, 2019 presidential election.

“I hereby plead and shall rely on the ballot paper used for the February 23, 2019 presidential election and the results and list of candidates that contested the presidential election published on the website of the first respondent (INEC)

“The above action of the first respondent (INEC) in unlawfully and wrongfully excluding the petitioners has caused immeasurable losses in resources and electoral fortunes of the petitioners especially my good self having invested so much money campaigning, time and resources mobilising supporters throughout the entire country”, Habu said.

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