The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja dismissed the petition filed by the Action Alliance (AA), challenging the victory of Bola Tinubu from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25 presidential election. The petition was withdrawn by the Action Alliance, but no reason was provided for their decision.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Bola Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election, securing a total of 8,794,726 votes. Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi secured the third position with 6,101,533 votes.

The petition was initially filed by Solomon Okanigbuan on behalf of the Action Alliance party. The respondents named in the petition were INEC and Hamza Al-Mustapha. Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, represented the APC as the second respondent, while Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, stood for Bola Tinubu. Mohammed Sani served as the legal representative for Hamza Al-Mustapha.

During the court proceedings, the counsel for the petitioner presented a motion seeking the withdrawal of the petition in its entirety. The petitioner argued that his exclusion from the election was unfair, as Al-Mustapha, whom INEC fielded as the party’s presidential candidate, was not a legitimate candidate.

The five-member panel, led by Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani and including Justices Stephen Adah, Bolaji Yusuf, Moses Ugo, and Abba Mohammed, dismissed the petition in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act. The chairman of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, Justice Haruna Tsammani, confirmed that the petition, which was filed on March 16, had been officially dismissed due to its withdrawal.

All respondents, including INEC, Bola Tinubu, and Hamza Al-Mustapha, confirmed in court that they did not oppose the motion for the withdrawal of the petition. Consequently, the number of ongoing petitions in the proceedings has been reduced to four.

This decision by the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal marks the end of the Action Alliance’s challenge against Bola Tinubu’s victory in the February presidential election. With the withdrawal of the petition, the focus now shifts to the remaining petitions, as the tribunal continues to adjudicate electoral disputes in a fair and impartial manner.