APM’s Petition Seeking Tinubu’s Disqualification: Court Adjourns Judgment Indefinitely.

The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) on Friday, July 14, 2023 adjourned its judgment in the petition by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), seeking the disqualification of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the February 25, 2023 presidential election on ground of unlawful nomination.

The Court announced its decision for an indefinite adjournment after parties in the matter had adopted their final addresses.

APM specifically prayed the Court to nullify the election of Tinubu on the ground that his Vice Presidential candidate, Senator Kashim Shetima unlawfully allowed himself to be nominated twice for the two different constituencies.

Shetima was initially nominated by the All Progressives Congress (APC), as its candidate for the Borno Central Senatorial District before his nomination by the same party as Vice Presidential candidate following the withdrawal of a place holder, Kabiru Masari, who was the earlier nominated Running Mate to Tinubu.

The APM argued that Kashim Shetima and the APC breached the Electoral Act 2022 by engaging in the alleged double nomination.

At the Friday’s proceedings where final addresses were adopted, APM through its counsel Andrew Malgwu, SAN asked the court to invoke relevant law to nullify the nomination of Tinubu and Shettima on the ground of unlawful, illegal and unjustifiable nomination.

But, the first respondent in the petition, being the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), prayed the Court to dismiss the petition for lacking merit.

The APC which was represented by Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN asked the court to dismiss the petition on all grounds for being frivolous, irritating and unwarranted.

Fagbemi argued that the petition died on arrival in view of the Supreme Court judgment that other political parties cannot interfere in the internal affairs of another party especially on the issue of nomination.

Similarly, Tinubu and Shetima represented by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, argued that the APM’S petition ought not to have been filed in the first instance and demanded its outright dismissal.

Olanipekun told the Court that the petition ought to have been withdrawn honourably immediately the Supreme Court made pronouncement that no party has the right to dabble into how another party nominated its candidates for elective offices.

After the arguments, the Presiding Justice of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani adjourned judgment indefinitely and told the lawyers in the court that they would be communicated once the judgment is ready.