The Presidential Election Tribunal has ruled that President Muhammadu Buhari’s academic qualification was not a pre-election matter.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had told the court that the matter was supposed to be contested prior to the election on February 23.
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Ruling on Wednesday, Justice Garba Mohammed dismissed INEC’s argument, adding that Section 138 (1) (a) of the Electoral Act allows for the filing of petition relating to an allegation of false information.
The tribunal held that it has within its powers to entertain the application and determine the details contained in the petition.
“I am of the view that the contents of section 138 (1) does not fall in the category of a pre-election matter,” he said.
“Although the issue relates to a matter that happened before the election, the issues relate to vital points that cannot be relegated just to a pre-election matter.”
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The tribunal dismissed the application, with all other members of the panel not objecting to the lead ruling.
President’s Buhari’s academic qualification is part of the grounds on which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wants the results of the February 23 presidential election upturned.
