Election tribunal buhari apc close defence

You're referring to the 2019 Nigerian presidential election petition tribunal case between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.

On July 25, 2019, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PET) delivered its judgment, dismissing the petition filed by the PDP and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, against the election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The tribunal, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of irregularities and non-compliance with the Electoral Act during the February 23, 2019, presidential election.

In its judgment, the tribunal dismissed the petition for lacking in merit, and upheld the election of President Buhari as the winner of the election.

Here are some key points from the tribunal's judgment:

  1. The tribunal held that the petitioners failed to prove that the election was marred by substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
  2. The tribunal dismissed the petitioners' claims of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, including the alleged failure to transmit election results electronically.
  3. The tribunal held that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was not bound by the Electoral Act to transmit election results electronically.
  4. The tribunal dismissed the petitioners' claims of irregularities, including the alleged use of fake results sheets and the failure to provide adequate security at polling units.
  5. The tribunal held that the petitioners failed to provide credible evidence to support their claims of irregularities and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
  6. The tribunal dismissed the petitioners' claims of bias and partiality by INEC, and held that the commission acted impartially and independently during the election.
  7. The tribunal upheld the election of President Buhari as the winner of the election, and dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.

The judgment of the tribunal was a major blow to the PDP and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who had hoped to challenge the election results and secure a fresh election. The judgment was, however, welcomed by the APC and its candidate, President Buhari, who hailed the tribunal's decision as a victory for democracy and the rule of law.