President Muhammadu Buhari and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Thursday, lost out in their appeal against the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM).

Igbere TV reports Mr. Buhari and INEC had filed an application seeking a dismissal of the petition filed by the PDM at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT).

PDM and its candidate, Mr. Aminchi Habu, are challenging their exclusion from the February 23 Presidential Election ballot.

Mr. Habu and the PDM are asking the tribunal to nullify the election and order the conduct of a fresh one, with their names and logo included.

On the other hand, Mr. Buhari and INEC were asking the tribunal to strike out the petition on the grounds that “it did not file for notice of pre-trial within the seven days after the close of pleading, as stipulated by law.”

In its ruling on Thursday, the tribunal held that findings from its own record showed that the application of the petitioners was actually made “well within the 7 days provided by law”.

The PEPT, therefore, dismissed the two applications by Mr. Buhari and INEC for “being unmeritorious.”