Declare Buhari Winner Of Presidential Election, CPC Tells Tribunal

ABUJA, August 11, (THEWILL) – The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) Thursday urged the Presidential Election Tribunal sitting at the premises of the Court of Appeal to declare its Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari winner of the April 2011 Presidential Election.

The CPC in an application for judgement against the Peoples Democratic Party and its Presidential candidate, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP of frustrating its efforts to examine ballots and other materials used for the said election as ordered by the tribunal on May 24, 2011. It said both parties did not allow it access to the data that would have helped it prove its petition before the tribunal, even though the party was ready to inspect the materials in various states where the records are.

“That 1st and 2nd Respondents INEC and its Chairman denied the Petitioner’s request by failing to make copies of the requested election materials available to the Applicant and the Applicant was as a result forced to file an application dated the 15th May, 2011 for an order directing the 1st and 2nd Respondents to produce for the inspection of the Applicants and permitting it to take copies of the election material used in the conduct of the election.

“That this Honourable Court had on the 24th day of May, 2011 granted an order pursuant to the application referred to in paragraph 2 above in the following terms:

“An order that INEC shall grant the Petitioner and any other party in the petition their counsel agents or experts access to the biometric Data Base created by the DDC machines for register of voters, used at the Presidential Election held on 16th April, 2011.

“INEC shall give notice to parties as to time, date and place for such exercise provided that the absence of a party duly notified shall not delay such exercise,” the CPC wrote in the application for judgement.

The party further said its application for judgement was brought pursuant to Paragraph 18 of the 1st Schedule of the Electoral Act 2010 and Section 149 (d) of the Evidence Act.

Recall that the party had approached the tribunal seeking a declaration that President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo, both of the PDP, were not duly elected in the said election.

The petitioner had prayed the tribunal to nullify the results of the Presidential election in Kaduna, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Kwara, Adamawa, Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Enugu, Cross River, Rivers, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo Anambra, Benue, Lagos, Plateau states and the FCT – states where the PDP recorded an impressive win in the election.