The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has just dismissed an application by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which prayed the Tribunal to dismiss the petition by the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democrat Party, Atiku Abubakar.
INEC had, in the application filed at the Tribunal, argued that the petitioners failed to join Vice President Yemi Osibanjo in their petition, and urged the Tribunal to dismiss the petition.
But, the Tribunal in its ruling read by Justice Mohammed Garba held that Osibanjo is not a necessary party in the petition and that not joining him in the petition by the petitioners cannot warrant the dismissal of the petition.
The tribunal had, at the pre-hearing session reserved ruling in all applications filed during the session on the day of judgment.
Rulings on the applications are being delivered now, before judgment in the main petition, wherein Atiku and his party are challenging the declaration of President Muhammad Buhari by INEC as the winner of the February 23, 2019 presidential election.
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