2019: Political party drags Buhari to court for delay in declaring intention

A political party, Democratic Youth Congress (DYC) has dragged President Muhammadu Buhari before the Federal High Court in Abuja over his delay in declaring his intention to run for the 2019 presidential election.

The plaintiffs,  Hon. Kassim Kassim and National Executive Council (NEC) of the party named the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as defendants in the suit, along with the President.

In the suit filed and dated 26th February, 2018, the plaintiffs are praying the court for the interpretation of Section 131 (a), (b), (c) and (d), and Sections 137 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

They are urging the court to determine whether, upon the provisions of the foregoing sections of the Constitution, President Buhari would be deprived or subjected to any person or association from contesting the 2019 presidential election.

“Whether the 1st defendant (Buhari) after compliance with the 1999 constitutional provision, the Electoral Act and the guidelines to the extent of winning the 2015 presidential election as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, need other further qualification to contest the 2019 presidential election.

“Whether the 1st defendant (Buhari), despite the various call, including the applicants (plantiffs)’ ultimatum dated 15th February 2018, will remain mute, without making a public declaration to contest the presidential election of 2019.”

The court is further urged to declare that Buhari is legally and constitutionally empowered to contest the 2019 presidential election into the office of the President of Nigeria pursuant to Sections 131 and 137 of the 1999 constitution as amended.

The plaintiffs are seeking an order of the court directing Buhari to declare his intention to vie for the presidential election as well as, an order directing him to answer the clarion call by the plaintiffs to contest the presidential election of 2019 to the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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In a 24 paragraph affidavit deposed to by a member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Kassim Kassim who is also a plaintiff in the suit and the National Chairman of DYC, the plaintiffs averred that they are a pressure group who have been campaigning and mobilising Nigerians to support President Buhari’s re-election bid.

Moreso, the plaintiffs submitted that they mobilised a million man match in Abuja on 15th February in Abuja to show solidarity to Buhari, with the clarion call on him to declare his intention to contest the presidential election in 2019.

Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.