The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, in a ruling on Wednesday, made a significant decision by dismissing 15 out of the 27 witnesses presented by the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. These witnesses were unable to substantiate Atiku Abubakar’s case challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the presidential election held on February 25.
The verdict was delivered by one of the members of the five-man panel, Justice Stephen Adah. The Tribunal based its rejection of these 15 witnesses on the grounds that they failed to submit their testimonies in the form of sworn statements along with the initial petition.
Furthermore, the Tribunal revealed that the petitioner, Atiku Abubakar, did not manage to submit these sworn statements within the stipulated 21-day window from the date when the election results were officially announced. This failure to comply with the required procedural deadlines ultimately led to the exclusion of these 15 witnesses from the proceedings.