Excess campaign spending: Court fixes date for judgement on Buhari, Atiku’s disqualification

The Federal High Court, Abuja, has adjourned until May 7, a suit seeking the disqualification of President Muhammadu Buhari and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar from the presidential election over alleged excess spending on campaigns.

The presidential candidate of the National Rescue Movement, Mr Usman Ibrahim-Alhaji dragged the duo to court alleging that they both spent over N1 billion each on campaign expenses in the presidential elections.

Ibrahim-Alhaji prayed the court to invoke Section 91(2) of the Electoral Act, 2010 to nullify the participation of Buhari and Atiku in the February 23 presidential election for allegedly violating the Electoral Act 2010.

The plaintiff through his counsel, Mr Ezekiel Ofou alleged that by spending over N1 billion each, Buhari and Atiku had violated the electoral law and were liable to be removed as contestants in the election.

At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Ofou informed the court that he had served the processes on Buhari and Atiku through substituted means as was ordered by the court on March 5.

He, however, acknowledged that even though they were yet to respond, according to the law, they had up till 30 days within which to respond.