Presidential Election Tribunal in NIgeria Held Inaugural Sitting

The presidential election petition tribunal in Abuja, yesterday, held its inaugural sitting over the case seeking to invalidate the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the April 16 Presidential election.

The petition which was filed by the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, is specifically seeking a cancellation of all the election results credited to President Goodluck Jonathan in 24 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The CPC is praying the tribunal to not only nullify the presidential election on the premise that President Jonathan and his running mate, Arc Namadi Sambo were not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast at the poll, but to equally order the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct a re-run election between it and the PDP.

Meanwhile, hearing of the petition suffered a setback yesterday owing to the decision of the CPC team of lawyers to withdraw an earlier application it filed before the court on May 6, asking for an order compelling INEC to grant its forensic experts access to all the sensitive materials used during the 2011 general elections.

Lead counsel to the CPC, Mr James Ocholli, SAN, yesterday informed the court that the party decided to withdraw that application and substitute it with a fresh one it filed on Monday, stressing that the action was hinged on the grounds of technicalities.

Neither counsel to INEC, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, that of the PDP, Joe Kyari Gadzama, SAN, nor 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria and 20 lawyers who were led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, to enter their appearance for both President Jonathan and Vice President Sambo, objected to the oral withdrawal application made by the CPC.

Consequently, a 5-man panel of tribunal Justices headed yesterday by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, accordingly struck-out the motion, just as it accepted the new one dated May 16, which he equally ordered the CPC to promptly serve on all the parties in the matter.

Source; Vanguard Newspaper