The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), has dragged INEC to court seeking disqualification of the Presidential candidate’s of the Labour party, Peter Obi and All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from contesting the 2023 presidential election.
PDP wants the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), to stop Tinubu and Peter Obi, from replacing their place-holders, Gov Kabiru Masari and Doyin Okupe, respectively.
PDP also sought a declaration of the court for the disqualification of Tinubu and Obi if they fail to contest with their previous chosen running mates.
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In the originating summons, with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1016/2022, the PDP is seeking an order barring INEC from replacing the running mates of Tinubu and Obi.
While PDP is the plaintiff in the suit, the respondents include: INEC, APC, LP, Tinubu, Obi, Doyin Okupe and Kabiru Masari.
Recall that Tinubu and Obi had used Masari and Okupe respectively to beat the deadline set by INEC on submission of running mates after the primaries.
The two presidential candidates earlier this week changed their nominations.
While Tinubu settled for former Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, Obi announced Datti Baba-Ahmed as his running mate.
“A declaration that by the combined interpretation of Section 142(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Sections 29(1), 31, 33 of the Electoral Act 2022, the 1st defendant’s (INEC’s) election timetable, the 3rd (Tinubu) and 6th (Obi) cannot validly contest the 2023 Presidential election without the 4th (Masari) and 7th (Obi) respondents as their respective running mates.
“A declaration that by the combined interpretation of Section 142(1) of the constitution, Section 29(1), 31 and 33 of the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s timetable, both Tinubu and Obi must be bound by their submission,” the party stated in the suit.
PDP is asking the court to determine that “if by the combined interpretation of Section 142(1) of the constitution, Section 29(1), 31 and 33 of the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s timetable, Tinubu and Obi are bound by the submission of Masari and Okupe respectively as their running mates.”
They also prayed the court to determine that “if by the combined interpretation of Section 142(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sections 29(1), 31, 33 of the Electoral Act 2022, the first defendant (INEC) can validly accept any change or substitution of the 4th (Masari) and 7th (Okupe) defendants as running mates of the 3rd (APC) and 6th (Labour Party) defendants.”
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