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| Muhammadu Buhari |
The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Movement and its presidential candidate, Pastor Aminchi Habu, challenging the victory of Muhammadu Buhari at the February 23, 2019 poll.
This followed an application by the petitioners’ lawyer, Aliyu Lemu, for the withdrawal of the petition.
Lemu informed the five-man tribunal led by Justice Mohammed Garba, that his clients gave the instruction for the withdrawal of the petition.
The development came on the day the petitioners were to open their case.
The respondents comprising the Independent National Electoral Commission, President Buhari and his All Progressives Congress did not oppose the application.
The tribunal in a unanimous ruling subsequently dismissed the petition.
This came less than a week after Bichi opposed the move by the National Chairman of the PDM, Chief Frank Igwebuike, to withdraw the party from the petition.
Bichi’s opposition to Igwebuike’s move was upheld by the tribunal, which dismissed the application for the withdrawal in a ruling delivered on July 18.
The PDM’s petition is one of the three remaining petitions filed before the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the February 23, 2019 poll.
