Buhari, APC loses suit seeking Atiku’s disqualification over citizenship

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal Wednesday dismissed the argument by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party Atiku Abubakar was not a Nigerian by birth.

The tribunal said its power does not include determining the qualification of a petitioner in an election dispute.

The court held that the respondents ought to file a cross-petition against the qualification of Abubakar for the February 23 presidential poll and not to use it as a defence.

Buhari had filed that in response to Abubakar’s petition seeking Buhari’s disqualification for not possession prerequisite academic qualifications for the office of President had urged the court to disqualify Abubakar on grounds that he was not a Nigerian.

According to Buhari and APC, Jada, the birthplace of Atiku in 1946was a Cameroonian territory and not part of northern Nigeria.