The Presidential Election Petition Court has dismissed the petitions filed by the Allied Peoples Movement against President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, citing a lack of merit.
The PEPC not only rejected APM’s attempt to nullify Tinubu’s election but also described their case as “incompetent.”
According to the court, the issues raised by APM in their petition pertain to pre-election matters that fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.
Justice Haruna Tsammani, the panel’s chairman, delivered this ruling.
Furthermore, the tribunal also rejected APM’s petition against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and four others, including the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, Kashim Shettima, and Kabiru Masari.
Justice Tsammani examined each of APM’s arguments and found them lacking merit.
The judge also upheld the preliminary objections raised by all the respondents regarding the competence of the petition.
Tsammani pointed out that since the petition revolved around the eligibility of Tinubu to contest the presidential election, APM should have taken their case to court within 14 days after Tinubu’s nomination by the APC.
Additionally, he noted that the law does not permit one political party to challenge the nomination process of another party’s candidate.
Furthermore, Tsammani clarified that an invalid or double nomination does not serve as grounds for disqualification in presidential elections, as specified in sections 131 and 137 of the Constitution.
