Judgement Day: Tribunal throws out APM’s suit seeking disqualification of Pres. Tinubu

The appeal by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) to invalidate President Bola Tinubu‘s election was denied by the Presidential Election Petitions Court.

The court decided that the pre-election problems presented by the APM in its petition could only be resolved by the Federal High Court.

All of the Respondents submitted initial objections to the petition’s competence, which Justice Haruna Tsammani, the panel’s chairman, upheld in reading the decision.

Since the petition relied on President Tinubu’s eligibility to participate in the February 25 presidential election, according to Justice Haruna, the APM was required to file a lawsuit within 14 days following Tinubu’s nomination by the All Progressives Congress, or APC.

He maintained that the APM lacked locus standi to contest Tinubu’s nomination because the subject touched on a pre-election affair.

Furthermore, Justice Tsammani ruled that a political party does not have the authority to contest a nomination that was made by another political party, as the Supreme Court had previously determined.

He maintained that the 1999 Constitution, as amended, had provisions for the qualification or disqualification of candidates in sections 131 and 237.

The court stated that Kashim Shettima’s alleged nomination as Tinubu’s running partner was allegedly invalid.

“It is clear that the claim of qualification it non non-qualification of the the 3rd Respondent (Tinubu) centered on the alleged invalid nomination of the 4th Respondent (Shettima). It is a pre-election matter,” Justice Tsammani said.