Court dismisses PDP’s suit seeking disqualification of Tinubu, Shettima

The Supreme Court has fixed May 26, 2023 to deliver judgment in a suit seeking the disqualification of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress APC respectively. In the suit filed on July 28, 2022, the PDP claimed that Shettima’s nomination as Tinubu’s running mate was in breach of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.  The PDP, which sought an order disqualifying the APC, Tinubu, and Shettima from contesting the presidential election, also sought an order nullifying their candidacies.

However, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court dismissed the suit on the grounds that the PDP lacked the locus standi to institute the suit. Not satisfied, the PDP appealed the judgment.

Delivering judgment in the appeal, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice James Abundaga held that the PDP failed to establish that it had locus standi to institute the case. Abundaga described the PDP as a busybody, who dabbled into issues that were internal affairs of the APC.