PDM’S Petition: Tribunal Dismisses INEC, Buhari’s Applications - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (J.T)
June 27, 2019
The Independent National Electoral Commission andPresident Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday lost its bid to have the PresidentialElection Petition Tribunal dismiss the petition filed by the People’sDemocratic Movement and its presidential candidate in February 23rd, 2019,Haminchi Habu.
Habu and the PDM are by their petition challengingthe victory of Buhari and his All Progressives Congress at the poll.
INEC, and Buhari had through, their respectivelawyers, filed separate motions seeking the dismissal of the petition on thegrounds that the petitioners failed to comply with the provisions of paragraph18 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act.
The commission contended that the petitioners hadviolated the said provisions of the Electoral Act by failing to apply for thepre-hearing notice within seven days after the close of pleadings marked by thefiling of their final replies to the respondents’ replies to the petition.
Justice Garba, who read the lead ruling, held thatthe pleadings were closed on April 20, 2019 when the petitioners filed theirreply to the last-received reply of the 2nd respondent to the petition