The Presidential Election Petitions Court in Abuja has ruled that it lacks the jurisdiction to hear a petition challenging the qualification of President Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima.
The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) filed the petition, which argued that Tinubu and Shettima were not validly nominated to contest the February 25 election.
In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, Justice Haruna Tsammani said that the issues raised in the petition are pre-election matters, which a high court should have heard.
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He also said that the 180-day deadline for challenging the nomination of a candidate had expired.
“In Alhassan and others versus Ishaku and others, it was held that an election tribunal has no jurisdiction on the primary of a political party,” Tsammani said.
The APM had argued that Tinubu and Shettima were not qualified to contest the election because they did not meet the constitutional requirements.
They also argued that the All Progressives Congress (APC) breached the Electoral Act by submitting Shettima’s name as Tinubu’s running mate more than 14 days after Kabiru Masari withdrew from the race.
However, Tsammani dismissed these arguments, saying they were matters for the high court to decide.
The ruling is a major victory for Tinubu and Shettima, who have faced legal challenges since their election.
It also sets a precedent for future election petitions, which must now be filed in the high court rather than the election tribunal.
The APM has said it will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
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