May 26, (THEWILL) – The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking the disqualification of President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his vice, from the February 25 presidential election, over an alleged double nomination of Senator Kashim Shettima.
A five-member justices of the apex court upheld the ruling of the lower courts, which held that the PDP failed to establish that it had locus standi to institute the case.
Justice Adamu Jauro, who read the judgement, added that the PDP acted as meddlesome Interloper and a busy body as it is an internal affair of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It awarded the sum of Two Million Naira against the PDP.
The PDP had approach the apex court, to challenge the March 24 ruling of an appeal court, led by Justice James Abundaga, which upheld the January 13th ruling of Justice Justice Ekwo, presiding judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Justice Ekwo had dismissed the suit filed against Tinubu, Shettima and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for lack of locus standi and a cost of N5 million awarded against the PDP.
The PDP had, in the suit filed on July 28, 2022, 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 Shettima had double nominations.
It claimed that when Shettima was nominated as a vice presidential candidate, he had not resigned or withdrawn his nomination as candidate for the Borno Central Senatorial poll.
It argued that Shettima being a nominated senatorial candidate on July 14, 2022 having emerged in the May primary of the APC, when he was again nominated the vice presidential candidate, was a clear breach of Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2022, on multiple nominations.
The Party, therefore, sought an order disqualifying the APC, Tinubu and Shettima from contesting the February 25 presidential election and an order nullifying their candidacy.
Having lost at the trial and appellate courts, the PDP asked the Supreme Court to invoke its powers and assume jurisdiction over the matter to set aside the previous judgements made by the lower courts and re-examine their arguments.
