Elections: Atiku, PDP get Tribunal’s nod to serve Buhari through APC

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 23, 2019, rescheduled presidential election and his party on Wednesday got the nod of the Court of Appeal to serve the petition and other processes on President Muhammadu Buhari through substituted service.

Atiku’s petition and other processes challenging the deceleration of Buhari as the winner of the Presidential election are to be served on the President through the national secretariat of the APC, located at no 40 Blantyre Street, off Adetokumbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse, Abuja.

Delivering ruling on the ex-parte argued by the lead counsel to the two petitioners, Chris Uche (SAN), Justice Abdul Aboki held that it is in the interest of justice to grant the request of the petitioners to serve Buhari through substituted means.

Justice Aboki ordered that the court processes be delivered to the second respondent (Buhari) through any senior officer of the APC.

While moving the ex-parte motion, Uche had complained that it was practically impossible to reach Buhari in person to effect service on him because of the retinue of security.

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He predicated the ex-parte motion on seven grounds and 17-paragraph affidavit and another five-paragraph further affidavit in making the request that President Buhari be served with the petition outside the Presidential villa.

Respondents in the exparte motion are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Buhari and the APC.

Recalled that Atiku had, on March 18 filed a petition challenging the declaration of Buhari as the winner of the February 23 presidential election

Amongst others, the PDP presidential candidate prayed the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to declare him the winner of the presidential poll on the ground that he scored the majority of the lawful votes.

In the alternative, Atiku and the PDP are praying the Tribunal to annul the February 23 presidential election and order INEC to conduct a fresh one that will comply with relevant electoral laws.