Judgment dismissing PDP’s double nomination suit affects APM’s petition, says Tinubu’s lawyer

Wole Olanipekun, counsel representing Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s president and his deputy, Kashim Shettima, says the supreme court judgment which dismissed an appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), affects the petition filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (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 Friday, the supreme court dismissed the appeal for lacking 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.

At the resumed tribunal session on Tuesday, Olanipekun said the judgment of the supreme court already affects the petition of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

The APM had in its petition marked: CA/PEPC/04/2023, contended that the withdrawal of Ibrahim Masari who was initially nominated as the vice presidential candidate of the APC, invalidated Tinubu’s candidacy in view of Section 131(c) and 142 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

The party argued that there was a gap of about three weeks between the period that Masari, (5th respondent in the petition) expressed intention to withdraw, the actual withdrawal of his purported nomination, and the time Tinubu replaced him with Shettima.

Olanipekun promised to obtain a certified true copy (CTC) of the judgment and make it available to the court within two days.

He also said he hopes to meet with the lawyer of the petitioner to know whether the APM intends to continue with its case considering the supreme court’s judgment.

Responding, Shehu Abubakar, APM counsel, said he is yet to obtain a copy of the apex court’s verdict.

He sought an adjournment to enable him to apply for the judgment and make relevant consultations on the way forward.

The court adjourned the hearing to Friday, June 2 for continuation.