The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, has reacted to the judgement of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.

Oshiomhole, who commended the Tribunal’s ruling which upheld President Muhammadu Buhari’s election, stated that the President would always defeat former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

He said this at a briefing with State House correspondents after he met with the President along with some women leaders of the ruling party on Thursday, in Abuja.

Following the victory at the Tribunal, the APC chairman also expressed confidence that the President would defeat his closest rival in the February 23 poll and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Supreme Court.

According to him, even if Atiku and the opposition party go to the World Court if permissible by law, the APC is ready to meet them there.

Oshiomhole, however, criticised the PDP presidential candidate and asked Nigerians to resist western prescriptions capable of ruining the country.

The Tribunal & Petitions

President Buhari defeated former Vice-President Atiku in the keenly contested presidential election on February 23.

Dissatisfied with the outcomes of the poll, the PDP and its candidate took to the Tribunal to challenge the re-election of the President.

They filed a joint petition on March 18, 2019, specifically asking the Tribunal to disqualify Buhari on the grounds that he did not possess the requisite academic qualification to contest for the office of President.

The PDP and Atiku also alleged irregularities in the conduct of the poll, deployment of electronic voting, over-voting, substantial non-compliance with the electoral law, as well as the use of security agencies to rig the election in favour of the President.

Meanwhile, Hope Democratic Party (HDP) and its candidate also filed a separate petition, seeking to be declared the winner of the election but the Tribunal dismissed the suit.

After months of proceedings and presentation of witnesses and a series of evidence at the Tribunal, a five-man panel of judges led by Justice Mohammed Garba dismissed the petition by the PDP and Atiku in its entirety.

In a unanimous judgement, the Tribunal held that the parties were to bear their respective cost.

Justice Garba affirmed that President Buhari was the winner of the presidential election.

Other members of the Tribunal included Justice Peter Olabisi-Ige, Justice Abdul Aboki, Justice Joseph Ikyegh, and Justice Samuel Oseji, who all agreed with the lead judgement. (Channels TV)

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