APM: Supreme Court Didn’t Determine Our Petition On Tinubu, Shettima’s ‘Void’ Ticket The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) notified the Presiden...
APM: Supreme Court Didn’t Determine Our Petition On Tinubu, Shettima’s ‘Void’ Ticket
The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) notified the Presidential Election Petitions Court that President Bola Tinubu is not an APC member.
The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) told the Presidential Election Petitions Court that, contrary to claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Bola Tinubu, and Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Supreme Court did not decide its main petition challenging their qualification for the February 25 presidential election.
APM's counsel, Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), replied to the respondents' final written address to its petition dated July 6, 2023, arguing that Tinubu and Shettima were not validly nominated and therefore disqualified from the election.
APC, Tinubu, and Shettima's lawyers, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), argued that the Supreme Court's verdict in SC/CV/501/2023, PDP vs INEC and three others on May 26 resolved the double nomination issue and bound all parties.
The Supreme Court's leading judgement only addressed the PDP's lack of locus standi to bring the matter to that stage, according to APM. The justices' contributory judgement was not the leading judgement.
APM also argued that the 21 days between June 24, 2023, when Kabiru Masari announced his withdrawal as the APC's vice presidential candidate, and July 14, 2022, when Shettima's name was forwarded, violated Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2022, which allowed only 14 days to replace a candidate.The APM counsel stated, “It is common on all sides in this petition that the 4th respondent (Shettima) was the candidate of the 2nd respondent (APC) for the 2023 election for Borno Central Senatorial District before the withdrawal by the 5th respondent (Masari). After Masari withdrew, Tinubu recommended Shettima to replace him.
“The 4th respondent (Shettima) was nominated for two offices in two constituencies for the 2023 elections. Section 35 of the Electoral Act 2022 bars candidates from running in multiple constituencies.
He claimed Masari's June 24, 2022 affidavit of withdrawal before the FCT High Court was instant and stated, "I hereby wish and I do voluntarily withdraw."on.
“May we conclude this address by stating forcefully that it is the responsibility of every player in the electoral system of any democratic country, be he a contestant or umpire or in whatever capacity to abide by, work, operate, and interpret the laws in such a way that they enthrone at every stage of the process the dictates of the law,” the lawyer said.