The Presidential Election Petitions Court has reserved judgement in the case filed by the Allied Peoples Movement, APM seeking to upturn the victory of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the February 25 polls.
The APM’s petition is anchored on the sole ground of alleged non-eligibility of the APC presidential ticket, wherein they have raised the issue of the placeholder, Kabiru Masari as the Vice Presidential nominee and his eventual replacement with Kashim Shettima. The APM is saying that there is no such thing as a placeholder in the Constitution.
The five-man panel reserved judgment after the respondents adopted their final written addresses on point of law, urging the court to dismiss the petition which they say is dead on arrival, as it ought not to be filed in the first place.
Respondents in the petition are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC, Tinubu, Shettma and Kabir Masari (who acted as APC’s placeholder before Shettma’s nomination).
Although the petitioners, APM while adopting their final addresses urged the court to allow the petition on grounds that it is meritorious.
The APM’s petition had twice been adjourned to enable the petitioner obtain a copy of the May 26, 2023 Supreme Court judgement which settled the issue of non-qualification of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima over alleged double nomination of vice presidential candidate.
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The party had also asked for adjournment which was turned down by the court, following a report by the counsel for the petitioner, that certain documents required for the proceedings were not in their custody.
The APM had called its sole witness, Aisha Abubakar who is the party’s Assistant Welfare Officer that admitted to being aware of the Supreme Court judgement delivered on May 26, dismissing the suit on allegations of double nomination against Kashim Shettima, instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
While been made to read some sections of the certified true copy of the judgement during cross-examination, the witness told the Presidential Election Petitions Court that she was not aware when the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, published a notice of substitution for Borno Central Senatorial District Candidate for APC. Abubakar also admitted that Kabiru Masari did not contest the Presidential Election but was a placeholder.
However, the panel has said it will wait till Peter Obi and the Labour Party and Atiku Abubakar and the PDP adopt their written addresses before it decides on the date judgement will be delivered
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
