Tribunal strikes out PDM’s suit against Buhari

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) and its presidential candidate, Pastor Aminchi Habu, challenging the victory of Muhammadu Buhari at the February 23, 2019 poll.

The petitioners had earlier through their lawyer Aliyu Lemu, filed the an application for the withdrawal of the petition, before the five-man tribunal led by Justice Mohammed Garba.

The development came on the day the petitioners were to open their case.

Respondents in the suit were the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC)

The respondents, however, did not oppose the application.

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The tribunal in a unanimous ruling subsequently dismissed the petition.

This came less than a week after Bichi opposed the move by the National Chairman of the PDM, Chief Frank Igwebuike, to withdraw the party from the petition.

Bichi’s opposition to Igwebuike’s move was upheld by the tribunal, which dismissed the application for the withdrawal in a ruling delivered on July 18.

The PDM’s petition is one of the three remaining petitions filed before the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the February 23, 2019 poll.

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