Ask to be declared the winner of the presidential election
By Precious Uyi
At last, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in the just concluded February 23 presidential election has filed his petition against President Mohammadu Buhari’s victory in the just concluded presidential election, beating the deadline for the filing of the petition by the whiskers.
Incumbent president and candidate of the APC, Muhammadu Buhari had on February 27, been declared the winner of the elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Under section 134 of the Electoral Act, 2010, any candidate that is dissatisfied with the outcome of the presidential contest, can approach the tribunal with a petition, not later than 21 days after the result is announced, a deadline that will expire on Tuesday.
Atiku’s team of lawyers is led by Mr. Chukwuma Machukwu Ume, SAN, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, and Mr. Emeka Etiaba, SAN.
Addressing newsmen, National Legal Adviser of the PDP, Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, revealed that Atiku would be seeking two principal reliefs at the tribunal. He said the first relief was for an order declaring him as the bonafide winner of the 2019 presidential election.
In the alternative, Atiku and the PDP, are urging the tribunal to nullify the February 23 presidential election on the premise that it was marred by irregularities.
“We asked that our candidate who won the election massively across the country be declared the winner. “In the alternative, we also asked that the election is set aside on the ground of irregularity which was apparent across the country. “We have a pool of 20 SANs who are tested in election petition matters and other senior lawyers who are also working with them. So we are confident.
“We have also lined up more than 400 witnesses that are going to testify in this petition. “Nigerians are at home with what happened on February 23, the sham they called the election. We are going to re-present those facts to Nigerians, we are not going to manufacture facts”, he added.
Similarly, a member of the legal team, Chief Ozekhome, SAN, told journalists that the petitioners encountered serious challenges in the hands of INEC whom he said was reluctant to grant them access to the electoral materials. “Our petition is quite solid, very strong and unassailable. We believe that by the grace of God, the original winner will regain his mandate”, Ozekhome added.
