In a recent development reported by Punch, the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal has issued significant rulings regarding the petitions presented by the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, concerning the February election.
Among these rulings, some sections of the petitions were deemed invalid, including the assertion that Bola Tinubu, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was ineligible to participate in the previous presidential race.
In its judgment on certain motions brought forward by the respondents, the court concluded that the petitioners had challenged Tinubu’s eligibility, yet they had failed to specify the constitutionally required qualifications for presidential candidacy.
Additionally, the Tribunal removed specific paragraphs from the petitions that accused Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and a certain Friday Adejo, described as a Local Government Chairman in Kogi State, without including them as parties in the petition.
Moreover, paragraphs containing vague allegations of irregularities and malpractices were expunged from the record.
Justice Stephen Adah, during the announcement, stated, “The witness statements have been declared incompetent and are hereby struck from the record of this court. Consequently, in accordance with paragraph 41 sub three of the first schedule to the electoral act 2022, which prohibits oral examination of a witness during their evidence in chief, except for leading the witness to adopt their written deposition and presenting disputed documents or other exhibits referred to in the deposition, all evidence, including cross-examinations and documents, reports, are deemed incompetent and expunged from this court’s records.”
Tribunal Renders Verdict on PDP’s February Election Petitions Filed by Atiku Abubakar
