The Supreme Court has announced that it will deliver its judgment on May 26th in a case filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which seeks the disqualification of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This judgment comes just three days before the scheduled inauguration of the president-elect and vice-president-elect.
The PDP initially filed the suit on July 28, 2022, claiming that Shettima’s nomination as Tinubu’s running mate violated several provisions of the Electoral Act of 2022, including sections 29(1), 33, 35, and 84(1)(2).
The PDP argued that Shettima’s simultaneous nomination for the position of vice president and the Borno Central senatorial seat contravened the law.
Seeking to disqualify the APC, Tinubu, and Shettima from contesting the presidential election, the PDP also requested that their candidacies be nullified.
However, the Court of Appeal dismissed the suit, stating that the PDP lacked the necessary standing (locus standi) to bring the case forward. Unsatisfied with the verdict, the PDP decided to appeal.
During the judgment of the appeal, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice James Abundaga, held that the PDP failed to establish its locus standi in instituting the case. Abundaga referred to the PDP as a “busybody” that meddled in issues that were internal affairs of the APC.
“The appellant, having failed to disclose its locus standi, this appeal fails and it is hereby dismissed,” Justice Abundaga declared.
As the nation eagerly awaits the Supreme Court’s judgment on May 26th, the outcome of this case will undoubtedly have significant implications for the political landscape, particularly as the inauguration of the president-elect and vice-president-elect approaches.
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