Tribunal: Atiku scores first victory

PDP’s candidate Atiku Abubakar has defeated INEC in the first ruling by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday.

The court struck out struck the application filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission seeking to throw out the PDP petition and its presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections.

The Tribunal said the appeal by INEC was incompetent. Excluding Vice President Yemi Osinbajo cannot make Atiku’s petition incompetent, the court said..

Judgment on the main issue–the disqualification of APC ‘s candidate Muhammadu Buhari as winner of the Feb 23 presidential election,   is still pending as both parties wait hopefully.

A presidential delegation led by Buhari’s chief of staff, Abba Kyari is already seated in the courtroom.

Some of them are Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the federation, Abubakar Malami, National chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, Ministers of Works and Housing, Raji Fashola, Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, Minister of State, Niger Delta, Festus Kayamo among others.