PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PETITIONS COURT SITTING IN ABUJA HAS………
BY:Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban. 08036377731
The Presidential Election Petitions Court sitting in Abuja has reserved judgment in the petition of the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Abubakar Atiku seeking nullification of declaration of President Bola Tinubu as winner of the February 25 presidential election.
The Chairman of the Court, Justice Simon Tsammani while reserving judgment said the date of its delivery would be communicated to parties involved in the matter.
While adopting his final address, Counsel for the Petitioner, Chief Chris Uche prayed the court to be just and not deliver judgment based on technicalities which may pervert the course of Justice.
Chief Uche insisted that Tinubu be disqualified on the strength of the American Court judgment where he was made to forfeit $460,000 on narcotics drug and money laundering related offences.
However, counsel for the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prince Lateef Fagbemi urged the Court to discontence the arguments on the ground that the purported forfeiture had taken place more than 30 years ago.
President Tinubu represented by Chief Wole Olanipekun, prayed that the petition be dismissed because the grievances of Atiku and PDP were targeted at the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and not Tinubu.
On its part, INEC which was represented by Abubakar Mahmood, asked the court to dismiss the petition on the ground that the petitioners did not prove the allegations of malpractices and forgery contained in the petition as required by law.