Presidential Election Tribunal – Panel Delivers 4 Major Rulings

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has delivered some rulings in some applications that had been brought by parties to the petition.

Some of the four key decisions that the Tribunal led by Justice Mohammed Garba have delivered that;

1. Vice-presidential candidate not a necessary party in election. Petitions are not incompetent because VicePresident Yemi Osinbajo was not joined as a party to the petition.

2. Petitioners’ lead counsel, Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), has his name of the roll of lawyers who can practise in Nigeria. So all the documents filed and signed by him in respect of the petition are validly filed.

3. Non-qualification of Atiku to contest on the grounds that he is a Cameroonian alleged by the respondents could not be brought up in the reply to the petition. Buhari ought to have filed it as a cross-petition.

4. Allegations of the petitioners that security agencies were used to rig elections are incompetent because the individuals and intitutions accused were not joined.

According to the provisions of the electoral Act, the tribunal must deliver judgment by 180 days after elections which is due on Saturday, September 14th.