Tribunal reserves judgment on petition by HDP against Buhari, APC, INEC
The Presidential Election Petition tribunal judgment on Monday reserved judgment in the petition filed by the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) and its presidential candidate, Chief Albert Ambrose Owuru, in which they are challenging the conduct of the February 23 presidential election.
They are also challenging the declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Owuru and HDP had petitioned against Buhari, INEC and APC praying for nullification of the February 23 election on the ground that INEC acted in violation of the law by shifting the election from February 16 to 23 without meeting conditions precedents.
The two petitioners also alleged that a fake version of their party logo was on the ballot paper used by INEC and therefore prayed for the cancelation of the poll on the ground of unlawful exclusion.
The party also queried the qualification of Buhari to stand for the election and canvassed among others that the president be disqualified having not met the minimum qualification to stand for election in Nigeria.
At the resumed hearing at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Monday parties in
the petition had adopted their final written addresses to establish their cases and as well defence in the petition.
Adopting the HDP’S final address, its lead counsel, Chukwunoyerem Njoku urged the tribunal to set aside the election of February 23 on the ground that the electoral body did not follow conditions precedent in the Electoral Act, 2010 before postponing the election earlier scheduled for February 16.
Njoku informed the tribunal that because INEC did not follow the condition precedent before postponing the election constitutionally, a referendum was conducted inline with the law and that the presidential candidate of the HDP Chief Albert Ambrose Owuru emerged winner of the referendum with over 50 million votes.
Njoku submitted that Nigerian citizens participated in the February 16 2019 referendum as required by law and urged the tribunal to nullify the declaration of president Buhari by INEC as president and in his place restore Owuru as the authentic winner.
The counsel argued that Buha rican not be said to be president on the strength that the February 23 election did not follow electoral guidelines.
The petitioners described the election as unlawful, unconstitutional and illegal and prayed the tribunal to void the poll and declared them as the lawful winners as a result of the February 16 referendum.