Former Vice President of Nigeria, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate in the just concluded 2023 Presidential election, Atiku Abubakar has reacted to Friday’s Supreme Court’s ruling dismissing his party’s double nomination case against the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (AP), Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima.
Atiku Abubakar said the Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday 26th May 2023, against his party, is not a setback to his quest for justice.
“The Supreme Court’s dismissal of the case of the PDP is not a setback to my quest for justice. Our legal team are primed to robustly prove that the election of February 25 was fraudulent, did not comply with the constitutional requirements and the electoral guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and that the announced winner was not even qualified to contest the poll,” he said.
The Supreme Court struck out PDP’s suit seeking the disqualification of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu and the vice president-elect, Kashim Shettima, over the alleged double nomination.
The appeal was brought by the counsel to PDP, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), alleging that Shettima had double nomination as the senatorial candidate for Borno Central Senatorial District and vice-presidential candidate under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
But the apex court held that the PDP lacked the locus standi to bring the action since the party was not a member of the APC.
Atiku Abubakar stated further on his official social media handle on Friday, stated that the battle for democracy and the said enthronement of a new order to spur growth and development in Nigeria is one to which he has committed his all and, and which he is not ready to walk away at this point when Nigeria is at crossroads.
“We know that sooner than later, our esteemed Justices will make the pronouncement that will serve as a befitting requiem for mandate bandits.
I urge my supporters to exercise patience and conduct themselves peaceably as we diligently conduct our litigation at the Presidential Election Tribunal Court. -AA,” he said.
In the suit filed on July 28, 2022, the PDP claimed that the double nomination breached the provisions of sections 29(1), 33, 35, and 84(1)(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022.
PDP submitted that Shettima was still the nominated senatorial candidate on July 14, 2022 having emerged in the May primary of the APC, when he was again nominated the vice presidential candidate.
The party submitted that he withdrew his senatorial nomination on July 15, 2022, and was by then in breach of Section 33 on multiple nominations.