Despite s’court ruling on double nomination, APM fails to withdraw petition against Tinubu, Shettima

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) says it will continue with its petition challenging the election of Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s president.

The APM’s candidate, Chichi Ojei, scored 25,961 votes during the February 25 presidential election.

The party argued that Tinubu was improperly sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) since he nominated Kashim Shettima as his vice-presidential candidate for the election.

On May 30, Wole Olanipekun, counsel representing Tinubu and Shettima, told the tribunal that the supreme court judgment which dismissed an appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), affects the petition filed by the APM.

The PDP’s case against the APC presidential candidates was on the grounds of double nomination.

The opposition party had claimed that Shettima was still the APC candidate for Borno central senatorial district on July 14 when he accepted the nomination for vice-presidential candidate.

However, in a judgment delivered on May 26, the supreme court dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit.

A five-member panel of the apex court held that PDP not being a member of the APC, lacked the locus standi to institute the suit.

The apex court also ruled that Shettima was not guilty of double nomination.

Upon raising the issue, the APM counsel said he would obtain a certified true copy (CTC) of the judgment and make relevant consultations on the way forward.

At the resumed court session on Monday, Gideon Idiagbonya, APM counsel, said they have analysed the judgment and still want to continue with their petition.

“We were able to access the judgment through the office of Prince Lateef Fagbemi, counsel to the second respondent,” he said.

“We have gone through the judgement and we are of the opinion that we can still proceed with the instant petition.”

Although there were no objections from the respondents’ lawyers, Charles Edosomwah, APC counsel, said: “I do not know why this case is being prolonged”.

The court however noted that the petitioners cannot be “shut out” or forced to withdraw their petition.

Idiagbonya then prayed the court for an adjournment to enable him call the sole witness.

The lawyer said although he intended to open and close the APM’s case on Monday, certain documents he intends to tender are not in the file transmitted to him by the previous lawyer.

Consequently, the court adjourned the case to Wednesday.