The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal has dismissed the suit
filed by the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) and its Presidential Candidate,
Ambrose Aworu, seeking to stop President Muhammadu Buhari’s
inauguration.
In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Joseph Ikyechi, the tribunal
dismissed the application for lacking merit. Respondents in the suit
which include the President, his party the All Progressives Congress
(APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) faulted
the application and asked the tribunal to dismiss it for lacking merit.
The HDP in its application said it will be unfair and unjust to
inaugurate President Buhari for a second term on the ground that the
validity of the election that produced him has been challenged at the
tribunal.
The party also prayed for an order stopping the Chief Justice of
Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Tanko Mohammad from inaugurating or administering
the Oath of Office and Oath of Allegiance on him (Buhari) until all
court actions against him are determined. The two petitioners said they
are challenging the validity of President Buhari’s election on the
ground of non- compliance with the electoral laws and have dully served
the President, INEC and the APC despite notice of hearing of their
petition against his election.
They noted that the President has been making frantic efforts and
preparations to be sworn in and inaugurated on May 29 by inviting the
CJN and the general public. They, therefore, insisted that restraining
order by the tribunal is appropriate to preserve the subject matter of
their petition and rendering their petition nugatory.
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