2023 Election: Court Dismisses Suit Challenging Tinubu’s Candidacy

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed suit filed by an independent lawyer challenging the candidacy of the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

 

Newsonline reports that Justice Fadima Aminu Muritala who presided over the case challenging Tinubu’s candidacy said the council that brought the case before the court has ‘no locus standi to institute the suit’.

 

The former governor of Lagos State and along five others were taken to court by Ngozika Ihuoma, a lawyer,  seeking six reliefs, which included that INEC should bar Tinubu from contesting the 2023 election.

 

In defense of the suit, Julius Ishola, lawyer, on behalf of All Progressives Congress filed a counter affidavit in opposition to the Originating Summons and a Notice of Preliminary Objection.

 

The counter affidavit challenged Ihuoma’s locus standi and grounds for the action.

 

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It sought a court declaration that the case was speculative, pre-emptive and non-justiciable being the internal affairs of a political party.

 

The counter affidavit also described Ihuoma’s case as academic, theoretical and an abuse of court process.

 

In the marked suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/854/2022, Justice Fadima Aminu Muritala described the plaintiff, Ngozika Ihuoma as a “meddlesome interloper having no locus standi to institute the suit”.

 

He, therefore, dismissed the case for being speculative after APC’s counsel, Julius Ishola had urged the Court to dismiss it with a heavy cost for wasting judicial time.

 

Ihuoma dragged Tinubu and five others to court on 9 June, 2022 after the former Lagos State Governor won the APC presidential primary election.

 

Reacting to the judgment, Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media and Publicity APC Presidential Campaign Council said the Monday ruling is one in several cases brought against Asiwaju Tinubu by opposition elements, including Action Alliance, for being frivolous, lacking in merit and abuse of court processes.