The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and it presidential candidates in the 23rd February, 2019 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has been granted permission by the presidential election petition tribunal to serve President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) with copies of the petition challenging the 23rd February 2019 elections through substituted means.
Following the request of the PDP and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, through its lead counsel, Chris Uche, the three-member panel of the tribunal, led by Appeal Court justice, Abdul Aboki, granted the request on Wednesday, 27th March, 2019
According to Chris Uche, he and his team of lawyers had approached the tribunal with their petition after analysing the items used by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to reach the conclusions announced following the 23rd February 2019 election.
The election results of the 23rd February, 2019 was rejected by the PDP and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, claiming that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar defeat President Muhammadu Buhari with a vote margin of 1.6 million thereby faulting INEC’s declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari the winner of the 23rd February, 2019 election hence their the petition filed by the PDP inspect the materials used by INEC in the election.
In the fresh ex-parte application on Wednesday 27th March, 2019, the lead counsel of the PDP and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar said they had written in a petition filed at the tribunal on 25th March 2019, a request to allow the PDP serve Mr Buhari and his party through substituted means.
The lead counsel clarifies that the reason for their application was because the petitioner has not been able to serve the respondents with their petition. According to the application, the PDP also asked for permission to serve the APC through any of its senior officers at the secretariat of the party, located off Ademola Adetokumbo crescent, Abuja. According to Mr Aboki in his ruling stated that it was in the interest of justice for the application to be granted.
