The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned a suit challenging the campaign funding of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, to May 7.
The presidential candidate of the National Rescue Movement, Usman Ibrahim, who filed the suit wants the court to nullify the participation of the president and Atiku in the February 23, 2019, Presidential poll, because according to him, they spent more than was provided by the Electoral Act on their campaigns.
The suit was filed on behalf of the plaintiff by his lawyer, Ezekiel Ofou, who urged the court to invoke Section 91(2) of the Electoral Act, 2010 to nullify the participation of Buhari and Atiku in the poll for allegedly violating the electoral laws.
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At a resumed sitting, the plaintiff’s counsel informed the court that the president and Atiku Abubakar had been duly served through substituted means as ordered by the court on March 5, but the president had no representation in court.
As a result of their absence, counsel to the plaintiff urged the court to deem the matter for hearing.
But being a suit commenced by way of originating summons, the presiding judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, observed that the defendants were still within the 30 days period for a party to file a response in a suit a position the defence counsel agreed with and urged the court to further adjourned the matter.
In a short ruling, Justice Mohammed said, “The court cannot fix a date for hearing since the defendants are still within time.
“On 22nd March, 2019, the 1st and 3rd defendants were served court processes by substituted means, and this shows they are within time to file processes.
“Consequently, the court has to adjourn the case to May 7, for further mention.”
