A file photo of a session at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja.
The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal has again dismissed the petition filed by the Presidential Candidate of Hope Democratic Party (HDP), Ambrose Owuru, praying the tribunal to declare him as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria based on a referendum the party conducted on February 16, 2019.
Justice Mohammed Gaba who delivered the ruling on Thursday dismissed the petition on the ground that the petition raised issues that the tribunal lacked the powers to adjudicate on.
The tribunal held that the petition of Mr Owuru is unknown to law and lacks constitutional backing.
The tribunal further said that the petition is an aberration that constitutes an abuse of court process.
Mr Owuru had in his petition claimed that the failure of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the Presidential Election on February 16 forced his party to conduct a referendum through which Nigerians elected him as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
