The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party challenging the eligibility of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC for contesting the presidential election that was held on February 25.
The appellant specifically asked the Apex court to disqualify Tinubu and his vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima on the ground that the nomination of Shettima as a Vice Presidential candidate for the election, was in gross breach of the provisions of some Sections of the Electoral Act, 2022, as amended.
But in a unanimous judgment delivered by a five man panel, the court held that PDP lacked locus standi to have instituted the case.
The panel affirmed that only an aspirant who participated in a primary election of a political party has legal rights to challenge the outcome of the election.
The Apex court justices dismissed the appeal for grossly lacking in merit and further awarded a cost of two million naira in favour of the respondents.
Reading his judgment in the case, the leader of the panel, justice Emmanuel Ajim said that since Shettima withdrew his participation in the Borno Central senatorial election on 6 July, 2022 with documentary evidence shows that he did not violate any law and was not doubly nominated by APC as claimed by the appellant.
Agim further held that the appeal was one of the frivolous cases being inundated the supreme court with by the promoters of the case through use of social media.
He also accused PDP of using the case to set a booby trap for the court.
