A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a suit brought before it by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the vice-presidential candidates’ substitution done by the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Bola Tinubu and that of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Justice Okorowo specifically held that the suit filed by Gordy Uche (SAN) on behalf of PDP was incompetent and unjustifiable as it disclosed no reasonable cause of action.
Besides, the judge said that PDP failed woefully to disclose any injury it suffered in the substitution of running mates carried out by APC and the Labour Party.
The running mates whose substitutions are being challenged by PDP are Kabiru Masari and Doyin Okupe for APC and Labour Party respectively.
The Judge held that the court has no jurisdiction to determine how the internal affairs of a political party should be done.
In the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/1016/2022, PDP claimed that the Electoral Act 2022 did not make provision for a “placeholder” or temporary running mate and that time for resignation, withdrawal or substitution of presidential candidates of conduct of fresh primaries to replace them is not applicable to Masari and Okupe.
The judge held in the judgement delivered on Monday that, the PDP’s suit lacked merit and was aimed at irritating opponents in the 2023 presidential election.
Justice Okorowo specifically held that the suit filed by Gordy Uche (SAN) on behalf of PDP was incompetent and unjustifiable as it disclosed no reasonable cause of action.
Besides, the judge said that PDP failed to disclose any injury it suffered in the substitution of running mates carried out by APC and the Labour Party.
In the suit, PDP claimed that the Electoral Act 2022 did not make provision for a “place holder” or temporary running mate and that time for resignation, withdrawal or substitution of presidential candidates of conduct of fresh primaries to replace them is not applicable to Masari and Okupe.
PDP also contended that Tinubu and Obi can only qualify to contest the 2023 presidential election with Masari and Okupe as their respective running mates.
The judge however held that the issue of nomination and substitution are internal affairs of parties and that courts have no jurisdiction to dabble in them.
Defendants in the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/1016/2022 are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Kabiru Masari, Labour Party, Peter Obi and Doyin Okupe as 1st to 7th defendants respectively.
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