Presidential Poll: PDM withdraws case against Buhari, cites national interest

The Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, and its candidate, Pastor Aminchi Habu, on Wednesday, withdrew the petition they filed to nullify the outcome of the February 23 presidential election. The party, which contended that its logo was not included in the ballot paper that was used for the presidential election, had in the joint petition marked CA/PEPC/004/2019, prayed the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja to void President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election and order a fresh poll

The petitioners argued that the exclusion denied the party the opportunity to contest the election, after it had spent a lot of money on campaigns.

Aside the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, President Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, were cited as respondents to the petition. Meanwhile, the Justice Mohammed Garba-led five-member panel was set to commence hearing on the matter on Wednesday, when counsel to the petitioners,

Mr. Aliyu Lemu, announced decision of his clients to discontinue the case. In two separate affidavits that were deposed to by both its presidential candidate, Habu, and National Secretary, Abubakar Gwada, the party said it decided to terminate hearing on the case for national interest. “That we have found other alternative ways of seeking redress for the complaints alleged in our petition. “That it will be best to withdraw our Petition in the circumstance to decongest the docket of this Honourable Court and save precious judicial time and to prevent the Respondents from any unnecessary expense of defending this Petition. “That at the time of filing this application, Hearing has not commenced in this Petition.