The Presidential Election Tribunal on Monday fixed Tuesday 17 July 2007 for pre-trial conference on the petition filed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress, challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission’s declaration of Alhaji Umar Yar’Adua and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as the President- and vice president-elect, at the April 21, 2007 elections.

The elections were variously dismissed by local and foreign observers as “flawed”; “a charade”; “fraudulent” and in fact, “the worst in the annals of this country’s electoral history”.

Atiku and his counsels are asking the Tribunal to invalidate INEC’s declaration of Yar’Adua/Goodluck as President because the election that produced them was riddled with corrupt practices, did not comply with the provisions of Electoral Act 2006, and because Umar Yar’Adua was not elected by the majority of lawful votes cast at the elections.

The Court of Appeal which is the court of first instance in the matters pertaining to the presidential elections on Monday fixed the date for the pre-trial conference.

At this conference, Counsel to both parties to this case, AC/Atiku Abubakar/Obi Vs PDP/Umaru Yar’Aduna/Jonathan, would sit in a session with the chairman and members of the tribunal to decide on the mode that the trial would take.

They would be expected to, at the end of it, dispose of interlocutory matters and agree on witnesses and documents that would feature in the trial.

This case was held up for sometime following a dispute concerning the routine matter of service, as the Yar’Adua/Jonathan counsels denied ever being served the petition.

With a date now set, it would seem that that issue has fully been rested.