As Nigerians await the landmark Supreme Court judgment regarding the victory of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, solidarity protests began as early as 7:30am this morning by supporters of the President-elect and opponents.
Today, the Supreme Court, will decide on Tinubu’s victory over alleged double nomination by his running mate, Kashim Shettima.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is seeking Tinubu and the Vice-President-elect, Kashim Shettima’s disqualification, over alleged double nomination.
PDP pointed out that the ruling party breached the law by nominating Shettima as the senatorial candidate for Borno Central and as vice-presidential candidate.
The Supreme Court has given Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima its official seal of approval to go ahead with the presidential inauguration.
The Peoples Democratic Party’s PDP lawsuit, which sought to disqualify them from the 2023 presidential election, was dismissed by the court. The PDP’s lawsuit asking for Tinubu and Shettima’s disqualification was deemed to have a glaring lack of merit by the Supreme Court, which dismissed it. In the lead ruling, Justice Adamu Jauro imposed a fine of N2 million on the PDP for interfering with the All Progressives Congress’ internal affairs during the primary election process and the nomination of its candidates.
Justice Jauro concurred with Tinubu’s attorney, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, that PDP behaved unlawfully by interfering in APC’s activities as a busy body and meddling invader. The Apex Court ruled that in addition to the PDP lacking the necessary jurisdiction to file the lawsuit, the party had also failed to present any proof that Shettima had used a double nomination scheme.
The PDP’s allegation of the Vice President-elect’s duplicate nomination was called regrettable and obviously intentional mischief intended to deceive the Court and the nation. The Supreme Court also agreed with Fagbemi that PDP must remain an observer notwithstanding its complaints regarding way the APC conducted its primary poll and chose its candidates.
The court ruled that PDP’s move was hurtful because it put up a booby trap on social media for the Supreme Court to utilize as leverage to blackmail it. It stated that this is extremely regrettable, unjustified, and uncalled for.
