SAN FRANCISCO, July 03, (THEWILL) – The presidential election tribunal has dismissed the application filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and it’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, seeking an order of the tribunal to set aside the proceedings of June 11, 2019, or in the alternative enlarge time for the PDP to file a counter affidavit in opposition to the application filed by the APC seeking to expunge some aspects of its petition.
The tribunal had on June 11, 2019 ruled that the petitioners – PDP and Atiku had no response to the motion by the APC, on the grounds that they failed to file a counter-affidavit.
It was that ruling that the petitioners prayed the court to set aside and allow them formally respond to the motion, a request the tribunal rejected in a ruling on Wednesday.
The tribunal held that the petitioners did not put anything before the tribunal enough as to sway it in its favour, hence, the application is lacking in merit and is struck out.
The chairman of the tribunal Justice Mohammed Garba who made the announcement said the tribunal’s decision is on the grounds that all the application center on the competence of the petition and all those questions will be answered when the final judgment is to be delivered.
The chairman of the tribunal also reminded the parties that they had elected on the 1st of July 2019, that the hearing in the petition proper should begin on the 4th of July, adding that in line with that agreement, the pre-trial hearing had to end on Wednesday.
The tribunal also adopted the schedule of proceedings agreed by parties on Monday, and adjourned till Thursday for the commencement of formal trial – hearing of the petition.
The petitioners are expected to call their first set of witnesses on Thursday.
