Supreme Court to rule on PDP’s suit seeking Tinubu/Shettima’s disqualification May 26
The Supreme Court will on May 26 rule on the suit by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking the disqualification of President-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his vice Kashim Shettima.
The PDP had approached the apex court for redress after the Court of Appeal on March 25, threw away its suit, saying it had no locus standi (the legal right) to initiate the suit.
This was after the High Court had also ruled in the same manner.
The PDP anchored its prayer on the grounds of alleged double nomination of Mr Shettima as APC’s vice-presidential candidate and the party’s senatorial candidate for Borno Central in the same election cycle.
The PDP, in an appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/108/2023, had prayed the appellate court to reverse the 13 January judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which dismissed its suit on the grounds that the PDP lacked locus standi to have instituted the suit.
While the PDP was the appellant, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC, Tinubu and Shettima were respondents in the appeal.
In their suit filed on 28 July 2022, the PDP challenged the validity of the Tinubu/Shettima ticket for the 2023 presidential election.
It argued that Shettima’s nomination as the running mate was in breach of the provisions of Sections 29(1), 33, 35 and 84{1)}(2)} of the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended), claiming that he had double nominations.
It claimed that as of the time Mr Shettima was nominated as vice-presidential candidate, he had not resigned or withdrawn his nomination as APC’s candidate for Borno Central senatorial poll.
It further prayed the court for an order compelling INEC to remove their names from its list of nominated or sponsored candidates eligible to contest the election.
The party argued that Mr Shettima’s nomination as a vice-presidential candidate as well as the candidate for the Borno Central senatorial seat contravened the law.
The PDP, which sought an order disqualifying the APC, Tinubu and Shettima from contesting the presidential election scheduled for 25 February, equally prayed the court for an order nullifying their candidacy.
