Election Petition: 3 Reasons Why Tribunal Struck out APM’s Petition for Tinubu, Shettima’s Disqualification

• The petition of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima has been struck out
• It was gathered that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) struck out the petition on three grounds
• The petition by APM was reportedly adjudicated at the Supreme Court. The tribunal said it lacked jurisdiction, locus standi

FCT, Abuja - The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) has struck out the petition filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) on Wednesday, September 6.

It was gathered that the petition was seeking the disqualification of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

As gathered by Legit.ng, the tribunal faulted their petition on three grounds.

1. Lack of jurisdiction

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It was gathered that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) struck out the APM petition because the case lacked jurisdiction, as it pertained to a pre-election matter.

This further explains that the case was meant to be heard at a different tribunal level.

It is also likely that the APM might push for an appeal at the Supreme Court level.

2. Lacked locus standi

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Locus Standi as: "a right to appear in a court or before anybody on a given question: a right to be heard."

According to the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT), the petitioner lacked the necessary legal standing (locus standi) to contest the issue it raised.

3. Supreme Court precedence

The tribunal observed that the Supreme Court had already decided the matter, invoking the legal doctrine of estoppel per rem judicatam, indicating that it had already been conclusively adjudicated.

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Giving further clarity on this development, Bulama Bukarti, a legal practitioner, revealed via X that:

"Any one of these grounds alone, according to legal standards, would have rendered APM's petition incompetent. However, despite these impediments, the Court proceeded to assess the case's merits."

After thoroughly examining all the pleadings, evidence, and arguments, the Court concluded that the petition lacked merit.

It concluded that contrary to APM's claim, VP Kashim Shettima was not doubly nominated, as he had withdrawn his candidacy for the Borno Senatorial District.

Additionally, it held that President Bola Tinubu had the legal right to select his running mate, provided this selection was made within the stipulated timeframe as required by law.

Tribunal Judgement Day: Peter Obi Absent in Court As LP Chairman Abure Stands In

Meanwhile, the courtroom of the presidential election petition tribunal has confirmed the absence of Peter Obi, a petitioner and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP).

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This development was confirmed when the petitioners and respondents were asked to introduce themselves in court.

Obi was ably represented by the embattled Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, while Vice President Kashim Shettima stood in for President Bola Tinubu.

Source: Legit.ng