Tribunal resumes hearing in Atiku, Buhari petitions - May fix judgment date today

Lanre Adewole, Abuja - 28.01.2008

The presidential election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja will today resume hearing in the consolidated petitions of General Muhhamadu Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, challenging the victory of President Umaru Yar’Adua in the April 21, 2007 presidential election.

The tribunal adjourned till today for parties to adopt their final addresses, with judgement date expected to be fixed after the adoption.

The judgement of the Supreme Court last Friday, which okayed Atiku’s bid to serve interrogatories on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Maurice Iwu, may not affect the arrangement of the tribunal, since Iwu is expected to reply under oath through affidavit.

Feelers from the tribunal showed that Iwu’s response to the 27 questions formulated in Atiku’s interrogatories would form part of INEC’s final address.

Though the final address had been filed, leave of the tribunal might be sought to amend it, without fracturing the proceedings in any serious way.

The tribunal fixed today for adoption of parties’ addresses after the respondents in the petitions, which included Yar’Adua, Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan, INEC, Maurice Iwu, police and Chief of Army Staff, had closed their defence.

The petitioners are asking the tribunal to void the poll and order a fresh election, claiming that the April 21 election was riddled with widespread irregularities and rigging in favour of Yar’Adua.

Atiku is also claiming that he was unlawfully excluded from the poll by INEC, which had rendered the entire exercise, null and void.

Buhari’s case was built around alleged illegal deployment of military personnel during the election by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to facilitate victory for Yar’Adua.