Just In: Heavy Blow for PDP as Court Throw’s Out Suit Seeking Disqualification of Tinubu, Shettima

• Attempts by the PDP to disqualify Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima have again hit a brick wall
• Ahead of next month's presidential election, the suit filed by the PDP seeking the disqualification of the APC flagbearer has been thrown out by the court in Abuja
• Justice Inyang Ekwo in a ruling on Friday, January 13th, held that the case lacked substantial merit and was an abuse of the court process

On Friday, January 13th, a Federal High Court in Abuja, dismissed a suit by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking the disqualification of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), and his running mate, Kassim Shettima, for the 2023 general elections.

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Delivering judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo, kicked out the suit on the ground that the PDP lacked locus standi to institute the suit.

The court's final verdict

Justice Ekwo, who held that the case was caught by the principle of issue estoppel, described the suit as an abuse of court process, Vanguard reported.

Delivering the judgment, the judge agreed with the defendants that the PDP had no locus standi to file the matter.

According to him, "where there is no locus, the court has no jurisdiction."

Ekwo held that that matter bordered on the internal affairs of the APC in which the PDP lacked locus to file the case.

Why the suit was dismissed

Justice Ekwo said that it had been established that the PDP was not an aspirant of the APC.

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“Therefore, there is no iota of law which support this action. It is on this ground that I find that this case is an abuse of process and I so hold,” he noted.

He, consequently, dismissed the suit for constituting an abuse of court process.

Jubilation erupts as supreme court gives final verdict on PDP guber candidate's fate

Legit.ng reported earlier that The supreme court dismissed two interlocutory appeals filed before it by Otunba Jimi Lawal, an aggrieved governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday, January 11.

A panel of five Justices of the supreme court led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun dismissed the two appeals after the appeal counsel, Chukwudi Enebeli, dramatically withdrew.

Lawal is in a legal battle with Oladipupo Adebutu on who should hold the PDP governorship ticket in Ogun in the 2023 governorship election in the state.

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Also, the Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna on Wednesday, January 11 dismissed an appeal brought against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressive Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Uba Sani by New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP).

The lawyer to the Kaduna chapter of the APC, Sule Shu'aibu, in a statement made available to Legit.ng confirmed the court's dismissal of the appeal, No. CA/K/293/2022 by NNPP Vs. INEC & APC.

As contained in the statement, the appeal brought before the court of appeal was seeking to disqualify the gubernatorial candidate of the party and all its 34 candidates for the state house of assembly.

Source: Legit.ng