Admin l Monday, July 25, 2022
ABUJA, Nigeria – An Abuja based Legal Practitioner has filed a suit, seeking the disqualification of the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Mr. Kasim Shettima.
Osigwe Momoh who filed the suit at a Federal High Court listed All Progressive Congress, Senator Bola Tinubu and INEC and 1st to 3rd defendants.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1188/2022 observed that the Muslim Muslim ticket of the APC was in breach of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Consequently, the Plaintiff, is praying the court to invalidate the candidacy of APC’s Presidential flag-bearer, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and that of his running mate, Kashim Shettima, both of them, being of the Muslim faith.
Momoh is also seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining INEC, from accepting, recognising or publishing the name of Tinubu and Shettima as bonafide candidates for the presidential election.
Momoh averred that APC’s decision to pick Tinubu and his running mate, Shettima, from the same religion, was in gross violation of the principle and the spirit of the Nigerian constitution.
He argued that political parties must, by virtue of Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), have their Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates from different sections (tribal and religious groups) of the nation.
He is also seeking a declaration that, “by virtue of Sections 14 (1) and (3), 15 and 224(a) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the defendants are bound by the principles of Chapter II of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and having the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the same religion is unconstitutional and null and void.
“That all Political Parties must, by virtue of chapter two of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), have their presidential and vice presidential candidates from different sectional (tribal and religious) groups of the nation”.
“An order nullifying the candidacy of the APC, Tinubu (1st And 2nd), same being unconstitutional and against the spirit and letters of Sections 14 (1) & (3), 15 and 224 (a) of the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.
