The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has reserved judgement on the petition by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) to seek the nullification of President Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shetimma’s victory in the 2023 election.
The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has filed a request with the Presidential Election Petition Court, seeking the disqualification of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the upcoming presidential election on February 25. The APM argues that Tinubu’s nomination is illegal, and the court has now reserved judgment in this matter.
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It was learned that the Tribunal reserved the judgement in APM’s petition so that it can be delivered alongside the judgments regarding Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar’s petitions seeking similar reliefs.
The APM’s primary contention is that Kashim Shettima, Tinubu’s vice presidential candidate, allowed himself to be nominated for two separate positions, which they claim is illegal.
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Shettima was initially nominated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a candidate for the Borno Central Senatorial District. Subsequently, he was nominated by the same party as the vice presidential candidate following the withdrawal of Kabiru Masari, the initial vice presidential candidate to Tinubu.
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The APM asserts that Shettima’s double nomination violates the Electoral Act. They argue that both Shettima and the APC breached the law by engaging in this alleged double nomination.
During the final address adoption on Friday, the APM, represented by their counsel Andrew Malgwu SAN, urged the court to nullify Tinubu and Shettima’s nomination based on the grounds of unlawful, illegal, and unjustifiable nomination.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the first respondent in the petition, requested the court to dismiss the petition for lacking merit.
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The APC, represented by Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi SAN, also asked the court to dismiss the petition on all grounds, describing it as frivolous, irritating, and unwarranted.
Fagbemi argued that the petition should be dismissed in light of a Supreme Court judgment that prohibits other political parties from interfering in the internal affairs of another party, particularly regarding nominations.
Similarly, Tinubu and Shettima, represented by Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, contended that the APM’s petition should not have been filed in the first place and demanded its outright dismissal.
Olanipekun told the court that the petition should have been withdrawn honorably after the Supreme Court’s pronouncement that no party has the right to meddle in how another party nominates its candidates for elective offices.
Following the proceedings, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, the presiding judge, adjourned the judgment indefinitely. He assured the attending lawyers that they would be notified once the judgment was ready. The decision is eagerly anticipated, as it could have significant implications for the upcoming presidential election.
