UPDATED: I'm far more qualified than Atiku, Buhari tells tribunal
· Challenges him to produce his credentials Eric Ikhilae, Abuja
in Featured, News Update
The President also faulted claim by the petitioners that they won the election, insisting that, by the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), he and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the last presidential election.
Buhari denied the claim by Atiku and Buhari that the trade moni policy of the government was a vote-buying measure.
He argued that the policy forms one of the many social intervention policies of the Federal Government, directed at alleviating the suffering of the masses.
Buhari argued that the claim by the petitioners that they won by results they obtained from a purported INEC server lacked legal basis and should be ignored by the tribunal.
The President challenged the petitioners to produces evidence of their claims that their votes were depleted and manipulated.
The president, in a preliminary objection he filed with his response, noted that the questions about his academic qualification and the reliefs predicated on the issues were matters over which the Court of Appeal and election tribunal lacked jurisdiction.
He also faulted the petitioners' allegations of vote manipulation made against some security personnel, some named private individuals and organisations, without making them parties to the petition.
He asked the tribunal to dismiss the petition on the grounds that the reliefs the petitioners sought by the petitioners are frivolous.
"The entire reliefs are not justifiable, as the petitioners, who claim to have scored majority of lawful votes insubstantial number of states, are also questioning their own return in those states.
"The petitioners cannot act as petitioners and respondents in the same petition.
"The alternative relief sought is self-defeating, apart from being frivolous.
"The election to the office of President on 23rd F February, 2019, was conducted in substantial compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended)," he said.
Buhari, challenged the petitioners to produce "specifics of website: www.factsdontlien .com, including its domain owner, proprietor, lessee, lessor; etc., pleaded in paragraph 29 of the petition.
"Details of the electronic data on the servers of the 1st respondent (INEC), including the time, the details were downloaded, the person who downloaded them and the means of downloading (paragraph 29 of the petition).
"The documents from the 1st respondent, publishing the registered voters in Nigeria, as 84, 004, 084 and the number of PVCs collected as 72,775,502 (paragraph 30 of the petition).
"Details and documents, showing a breakdown of the electronically collated votes of 664, 659, allegedly cast for the petitioners in Abia State (paragraph 34 of the petition).
"Documents showing the published registered voters in Bauchi State, as pleaded in paragraph 41 of the petition.
"Details of the electronically collated 332,618 votes in Bayelsa State (paragraph 42).
"Documents showing how petitioners' votes were depleted by 173,153, in Benue State (paragraph 44).
"Details of how petitioners' votes were depleted by 210,109 in Bomo State (paragraph 46 of the petition)."