The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal will today, September 11, deliver its much anticipated judgment on the PDP’s suit challenging President Muhammadu Buhari’s election.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared Buhari, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the February 23 Presidential election.
INEC had said that Buhari polled 15,191,847 votes, to win the election with his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, garnering 11,262,978 votes.
However, Atiku and his party challenged the results, saying that they won with over 1 million votes.
The petitioners claimed that the results from INEC’s server showed that Atiku polled 18,356,732 votes to defeat Buhari who got 16,741,430 votes.
The PDP’s petition is the last petition against Buhari’s re-election remaining after three others have been dismissed.
The PDP brought 62 witnesses in support of its case at the tribunal, while Buhari presented seven witnesses.
It is expected that no fewer than five judges from the Court of Appeal will deliver the final judgment on the petition today.
They are: Justice Mohammed Garba who heads the panel, Justice Abdul Aboki, Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, Justice Samuel Oseji, Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, Justice Joseph Ikyegh, Benin Division of the Court of Appeal, and Justice Peter Ige also of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.
