Supreme court dismisses Atiku’s appeal against Buhari’s victory

The supreme court has dismissed the appeal filed by Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), against President Muhammadu Buhari’s election victory.

The apex court dismissed the appeal on Wednesday after hearing Atiku’s suit against Buhari’s victory at the presidential election petition tribunal.

A seven-man panel of the court held that the reasons for the judgement would be given on a later date.

Tanko Mohammed, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), said after examining the arguments from the parties to the case, the panel concluded that the appeal lacks merit.

“We have examined the submissions of parties in this matter and the exhibit adduced and we have come to a conclusion that this appeal lacks merit, appeal is hereby dismissed,” he said.

Before the final verdict, the apex court had rejected the plea of the PDP and Atiku to adopt all its interlocutory appeals alongside the main appeal against Buhari.

The PDP and Atiku Abubakar, its presidential candidate, had through Levi Uzoukwu, their lead counsel, asked the court to allow all counsels to adopt their briefs, both in the main appeal and in seven other interlocutory appeals.

“We apply that all the briefs in this appeals be adopted so that at the end of the day, this court will take its decision on the matter,” he said.

But ruling on the request, the panel held that the main appeal covers the interlocutory appeals as well.

Atiku and the PDP filed the appeal before the apex court after the presidential election petition tribunal dismissed their case for also lacking merit.

Atiku challenged the victory of Buhari, who was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on the grounds that he allegedly lacked the necessary qualifications to contest for president and that the APC candidate was defeated in the election.