The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has reached a decision on the petition filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) challenging the election of President Bola Tinubu. The court, presided over by Justice Haruna Tsammani, delivered its judgment, stating that the petition lacked merit.
The APM had filed the petition, marked CA/PEPC/04/, contesting the outcome of the presidential election held on February 25. The respondents in the case included the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, Kashim Shettima, and Kabir Masari. The APM argued that Tinubu and Shettima were not qualified to contest the election due to alleged double nomination of the vice president-elect.
Justice Tsammani, as the chairman of the five-member panel, delivered the judgment. The court clarified that matters related to the qualification or disqualification of candidates should be addressed in the Federal High Court, not in an election court. These issues should have been raised during the pre-hearing session.
The court emphasized that petitioners do not have the standing to challenge a candidate’s nomination by their party. If a party nominates a candidate in accordance with its constitution and the relevant constitutional sections, it is not a concern for another party.
The court noted that the issue of double nomination was not substantiated by the petitioners. Furthermore, it mentioned that the third respondent, Shettima, had previously withdrawn his nomination as the senator representing Borno Central senatorial district. As a result, the court dismissed the petition, deeming it lacking in merit.
While the three cases challenging President Tinubu’s election were consolidated, the court underscored that each petition would maintain its distinct identity.
