Tribunal Sets August 29th For Hearing Of CPC's Application

ABUJA, August 15, (THEWILL) – The application for judgement filed by the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) urging the Presidential Election Tribunal sitting at the premises of the Court of Appeal to declare its candidate winner of the April 2011 Presidential election will be heard on August 29, 2011, THEWILL can report.

The CPC had filed the application compelling the tribunal to declare its candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, winner of the election following what it described as the refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow it inspect materials used for the April presidential elections.

Recall that the tribunal had earlier granted leave to the CPC and its forensic experts to inspect the materials in about 7 states where the CPC claimed elections were rigged.

The CPC further alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and INEC had colluded to frustrate it from inspecting the electoral materials.

It therefore filed the application compelling the tribunal to enter judgement in its favour based on the alleged refusal to allow it access to the materials used for the Presidential election.

At the resumed hearing of the petition counsel representing the CPC, Mr. Oladipo Opeseyi told the court that INEC had denied the party access to electoral materials in spite of the order of the court directing the commission to do otherwise.

Lawyers for INEC, the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan, Messrs. Hassan Lima, Damien Dodo SAN and Joe-Kyari Gadzama SAN respectively however countered the application and prayed for an adjournment to give them time to respond to the application for judgement.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and his deputy, Vice President Namadi Sambo of the PDP were declared winner of the election described by both local and international observers as the most transparent election ever conducted since Nigeria’s independence in 1960.