Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a case on Wednesday that sought to bar the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Bola Ahmed Tinubu from standing as Muslim-Muslim candidates in the 2023 presidential election.
Because the plaintiff lacked locus standi, the judge rejected the complaint filed by Mr. Osigwe Ahmed Momoh, an attorney with offices in Abuja.
Justice Mohammed held that Kashim Shetima cannot interrogate Tinubu and his running mate over the nominations because Shetima is not an APC member and was not involved in the procedure that resulted in them.
The legal professional had requested in the lawsuit that the court issue an order invalidating APC and Tinubu’s participation in the presidential election on the grounds that the nomination of a Muslim-Muslim candidate violates sections 14, 15, and 224 of the 1999 Constitution in both letter and spirit.
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The lawyer, who identified himself as an advocate for social justice and the rule of law, specifically emphasised that the Muslim-Muslim candidate’s nomination goes against the spirit of national cohesiveness, integration, and unity.
In order to prevent INEC from disclosing the identity of the APC and its presidential candidate for the 2023 election, he requested that the court issue an order of permanent injunction.
But in his ruling, Justice Mohammed rejected the plaintiff’s argument that he had the legal authority to bring the action, and as a result, he dismissed the entire thing.
While upholding the APC and Tinubu’s preliminary objection, Justice Mohammed did not impose any costs against the plaintiff.
