Supreme Court dismisses PDP suit against Tinubu, Shettima

 

ABUJA, Nigeria – The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP today lost in its bid to disqualify President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima on the basis of double nomination.

The PDP had filed a suit marked, SC/CV/501/2003 seeking the disqualification of Tinubu on the basis that his Vice, Shettima was nominated for more than one constituency ahead of the 2023 general election.

Specifically, the PDP averred that Shettima was nominated for the Borno Central Senatorial seat and for the Vice Presidential position.

But ruling on the matter today, a five man panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Adamu Jauro, JSC  held that the appeal failed because the appellant lacked locus standi to institute the suit not being a member of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.

The PDP had argued that Shettima’s dual nomination, was in gross breach of the provisions of Sections 29(1), 33, 35 and 84(1) and (2) of the Electoral Act, 2022, as amended and consequently sought to nullify Tinubu and Shettima’s candidacy.

In the lead judgement delivered by Justice Adamu Jauro, the apex court held that PDP lacked the locus standi to interfere in affairs of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, which nominated both Tinubu and Shettima for the presidential election.

The apex court upheld the concurrent decisions of the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court in Abuja, which earlier dismissed PDP’s case