A lawsuit seeking the disqualification of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, and the vice president-elect, Kashim Shettima, due to an alleged double nomination, was dismissed by the Supreme Court on Friday
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), represented by Mike Ozekhome (SAN), filed the appeal, claiming that Shettima had received a double nomination as an APC vice presidential candidate and a senatorial candidate for Borno Central Senatorial District.
However, the Supreme Court ruled that because the PDP lacked locus standi to file the case as it is not a member of the All progressives Congress.
The Federal High Court and Court of Appeal had dismissed the appeal for lack of locus standi and imposed a fine of N5 million on the PDP. Displeased, the party went to the apex court.
The PDP had asked the apex court to hear the matter on its merit and determine the grounds set out for the suit.
In the suit filed on July 28, 2022, the PDP claimed that the double nomination breached the provisions of sections 29(1), 33, 35, and 84(1)(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022.
PDP submitted that Shettima was still the nominated senatorial candidate on July 14, 2022 having emerged in the May primary of the APC, when he was again nominated the vice presidential candidate.
The party submitted that he withdrew his senatorial nomination on July 15, 2022, and was by then in breach of Section 33 on multiple nominations.
However, on January 13, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja dismissed the suit on the grounds that the PDP lacked the locus standi.
