Tribunal to hear application against Justice Bulkachuwa today

The Presidential Election Tribunal resumed sitting Wednesday for hearing on the application filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Presidential Candidate for the February general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

The two had dragged the All Progressives Congress (APC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Presidential Candidate for APC, Mohamnadu Buhari to the election tribunal over the election result, which they alleged was rigged by INEC in favour of Buhari and APC.

But there was a new development at the last sitting as Atiku and PDP through their counsel, Livy Uzoukwu, made an oral application, asking the President of the five-man panel and President, Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, to recuse herself from the panel over allegation of bias.

After listening to the oral submissions, the tribunal adjourned sitting till today for the hearing on the application.

The tribunal resumed shortly after 10 am and after announcing appearances, counsel to Atiku and PDP, Uzoukwu prayed the court for a short stand down to enable his team study the counter affidavit filed by the respondents in the matter.

Meanwhile, restrictions of human and vehicular movements have continued around the Appeal Court vicinity, where the tribunal is domiciled.

The deployment of heavy security personnel in and around the court has also remained a concern.