Tribunal dismisses HDP faction’s suit to withdraw petition against Buhari

The presidential election tribunal has dismissed an application by a faction of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) seeking to challenge the petition against President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election.

The HDP and Albert Owuru, its presidential candidate during the 2019 presidential election, had jointly filed one of the four petitions challenging Buhari’s victory during the February poll.

However, a faction of the party led by Poland Tapre filed an application before the tribunal praying for the withdrawal of the party as a co-petitioner in the case.

The faction said that the petition was filed in the name of the party without its consent.

It also claimed that Owuru had been suspended from the party and Tapre had been its national chairman.

The application was, however, opposed by Owuru’s legal team.

The tribunal, in its ruling, dismissed the application in Abuja on Thursday.

In the ruling, the five-man bench led by Mohammed Garba, put aside the application on the grounds that the faction of the party opposing the petition filed in its name failed to offer any statement to refute the claim by Owuru that he remained the national chairman and leader of the party.

The case was adjourned till July 2.

The party and its candidate had earlier asked the tribunal to halt the swearing-in ceremony of Buhari.

The application was dismissed on the basis that it lacks merit.