The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Monday filed a petition challenging the declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari as winner of the presidential election conducted by INEC on February 23.
The petition was filed at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on the premises of the Court of Appeal Abuja by lawyers for Atiku and the opposition party last night.
The petitioners are challenging the election of Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the grounds of alleged massive rigging, malpractices and non-compliance with the electoral laws. Respondents in the suit are the APC, Buhari and INEC.
They are praying for a declaration of the court that they should be proclaimed victors of the presidential poll and that the tribunal should nullify the election and order a fresh poll in line with provisions of the electoral laws.
The national legal adviser of the PDP, Emmanuel Enoidem, confirmed the development to journalists. A copy however had not been made available to the media at the time this report was filed.
The legal adviser said the PDP and its presidential candidate have already assembled a sound legal team, comprising 20 Senior Advocates of Nigeria and other lawyers who would establish the facts of the petition. He also said that over 400 witnesses have been assembled to testify during the hearing.
On the order earlier granted to Atiku to inspect materials used in the conduct of the presidential election, Enoidem said the petitioners would employ the reports of the party’s polling agents across the country to establish facts of the petition.