Appeal Court Reserves Judgment In PDP’s Case Against Tinubu, Shettima

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved judgment till a later date on an appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party against the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and his Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima.

The PDP in an appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/108/2023, is seeking the reversal of the January 13 judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Earlier, the party had in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1734/2022 sought to void the nomination of Tinubu and Shettima as the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress.

However, Justice Ekwo dismissed the suit on the grounds that PDP lacked the legal right to meddle in how the APC chooses its candidates.

The party challenged the validity of the APC candidates ticket for the 2023 presidential election claiming that Shettima had double nominations, and argued that Shettima’s nomination as a vice-presidential candidate as well as the candidate for the Borno Central Senatorial seat contravene the law.

The party referenced that Shettima’s nomination as the running mate was in breach of the provisions of Sections 29(1), 33, 35, and 84{1)}(2)} of the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended).

However, after lawyers to parties adopted their briefs and made final submissions, Justice Haruna Tsammani-led’s panel of the court of appeal reserved judgment in the matter.

Counsel for PDP urged the court to allow the appeal and grant the reliefs sought while lawyers to the APC, Tinubu and for Shettima, Thomas Ojo, prayed the court to dismiss the appeal.

Ojo argued that the court could no longer involve its original jurisdiction under Section 15 of the court’s Act to hear the case on merit because the constitutionally prescribed 180 days, within which pre-election cases should be heard, has elapsed