PDM withdraws petition seeking cancellation of presidential election

The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) has withdrawn its petition before the presidential election petition tribunal.

The PDM presidential candidate, Haminchi Habu, on Wednesday, through his lawyer, Ibrahim Lemu, told the court of he and his party’s resolve to withdraw the petition.

His request was not objected by the respondents and so it was allowed by the tribunal.

The tribunal chairman, Garba Mohammed, dismissed the petitions following the withdrawal.

The PDM and its candidate had brought its petition on the ground that the party was excluded from the ballot papers for the presidential election.

Such an exclusion, if proven, could be a basis of nullifying an election.

The party wanted Mr Buhari’s reelection annulled and a fresh election ordered based on its alleged exclusion.

The PDM and Mr Habu, despite filing a joint petition, later expressed divergent views at the tribunal.

The party had requested the tribunal to remove its name from the petition during the pre-hearing session. The candidate then opposed the party.

The request was however refused by the tribunal which ruled that the party cannot exclude itself from such an election petition.

With the latest development, only two petitions remain before the tribunal. These are the petition by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and that by the Hope Democratic Party.

The PDM, which was initially a movement within the PDP was registered as a party in 2013.

It had close ties with Mr Abubakar who in 2013 said he had no problem with the party going on its own.