Presidential Election Tribunal in Abuja has delivered its judgement on the petition brought forth by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) challenging the double nomination of Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
Chairman of the panel, Justice Haruna Tsammani, presided over the proceedings and announced the tribunal's verdict. The tribunal held that the issue of double nomination of any candidate falls under the category of pre-election matters, emphasizing that the APM did not possess the legal standing (locus standi) to challenge the nomination of candidates from another political party.
It's worth noting that Peter Obi and the Labour Party also lodged complaints against the double nomination of Vice-President Shettima.
Addressing the matter of invalid nomination, Justice Tsammani clarified that the claim made in the petition regarding Vice-President Shettima's invalid nomination contradicted the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria. The Constitution does not include grounds for disqualifying a candidate based on invalid nomination.
This verdict marks a crucial development in the ongoing legal battles surrounding the 2023 Presidential Election. It reaffirms the tribunal's stance on pre-election issues and the constitutional framework governing candidate nominations. As such, it has far-reaching implications for future electoral disputes in Nigeria.
The decision has left both political analysts and the public eagerly awaiting the next steps that will unfold in the aftermath of this ruling, as it continues to shape the political landscape of Nigeria.
Stay tuned for further updates as this story unfolds..........
