August 01, (THEWILL) – The Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy (CRPA) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), demanding the arrest and prosecution of the vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Kashim Shettima for allegedly seeking nomination for separate elective positions in the 2023 general election.
Shettima, who is the running mate to the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was alleged to have been twice nominated by the party for two different constituencies at the same time in a gross breach of the Electoral Act 2022.
According to the petition, Shettima signed both the INEC form EC9 on oath as the APC candidate for Borno Central Senatorial District in Borno State. At the same time, he signed another INEC form EC9 as vice presidential candidate of the same party, an action believed to have contravened the law.
Shettima’s action, the group claimed, specifically breached section 115(d) and (k) of the Electoral Act 2022, which attracts two years imprisonment by court upon conviction.
In the petition, signed by the Legal Adviser of the group and received by the office of the IGP on July 29, the group claimed to be in pursuit of the enthronement of good governance, accountability, probity and transparency in public institutions.
The petition read in part: “That the All Progressives Congress, APC, in compliance with section 29 of the Electoral Act, 2022, submitted the name of Senator Kashim Shetima to the Independent National Electoral Commission as its candidate for Borno Central Senatorial District of Borno State for the 2023 general election.
“That Senator Kashim Shetima signed INEC EC9 form on oath which is his nomination form as the candidate of the APC for Borno Central Senatorial District of Borno State for the 2023 general election.
“That INEC in compliance with section 29 of the Electoral Act 2022 on June 24, 2022, published the name of Senator Kashim Shetima as the APC candidate for Borno Central Senatorial District of Borno State for the 2023 general election.
“That after the said publication of Senator Kashim Shetima, the APC on July 15, 2022 submitted the name of Senator Kashim Shetima to INEC as its Vice Presidential Candidate for the 2023 Presidential election.
“That Senator Kashim Shetima also signed INEC EC9 form on oath which is his nomination form as Vice Presidential Candidate of the APC for the 2023 presidential election.
“That Borno Central Senatorial District of Borno State and the Vice Presidential position are two different constituencies. pp
“That section 115 (1) (d) provides: a person who signs a nomination paper or result form as a candidate in more than one constituency at the same election commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum term of imprisonment for two years.
“That section 115(1) (k) provides; a person who signs a nomination paper consenting to be a candidate at an election knowing that he or she is ineligible to be a candidate at that election commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum term of imprisonment for two years.
“That Senator Kashim Shetima having signed two nomination papers of two different constituencies violates section 115 (1) (d)(k) of the Electoral Act 2022.
“On the strength of the foregoing, having established a prima facie criminal cases against Senator Kashim Shetima, we therefore most respectfully, demand arrest and criminal prosecution of Senator Kashim Shetima for contravening section 115 (1) (d) (k) of the Electoral Act 2022.”
