BREAKING: Presidential Tribunal Affirms Tinubu’s Choice Of Shettima, Throws Out APM’s Petition

The Presidential Election Petitions Court sitting in Abuja has struck out the petition by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) which sought the nullification of President Bola Tinubu’s election for choosing Kashim Shettima as running mate.

The APM had alleged that Kashim Shettima was a senatorial candidate for Borno Central Senatorial District when he accepted to be running mate to President Bola Tinubu.

The APM claimed Tinubu violated the Electoral Act 2022 by nominating Shettima.

It sought an order nullifying and voiding all the votes garnered by Tinubu over the alleged double nomination of Shettima.

But the lawyers representing the Independent National Electoral Commission, Tinubu, Shettima, All Progressives Congress and Kabiru Masari, raised preliminary objections against the petition.

INEC insisted that Shettima duly resigned his candidacy as a senatorial candidate of the APC and notified the electoral umpire about it before his nomination as VP.

Passing its verdict on the matter, the five-man PEPC chaired by Justice Haruna Tsammani held that the 1999 Constitution is superior to any other law including the Electoral Act 2022.

He cited Section 131 of the 1999 Constitution which states that a candidate is deemed duly elected if he is a member of a political party and has been sponsored by the party.

The court also held that only an aspirant who took part in the primary election of the political party can challenge the nomination of its counterpart.

The PEPC also held that an earlier judgement in a suit by the People’s Democratic Party against INEC regarding Shettima’s alleged double nomination had addressed the issue and the decision was binding on any party.

The Supreme Court dismissed PDP’s case, berating the party for misleading the public by saying Shettima did not resign on July 2022.

He said there is no doubt that the judgement of the Supreme Court on PDP against INEC was the same with what the APM was seeking.

Subsequently, he said the APM petition which questions the nomination of Shettima has no substance in view of the Supreme Court which is binding on parties.

“This petition is void of any merit,” Justice Haruna