A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has struck out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suit challenging the vice-presidential candidates’ substitution done by Peter Obi and Tinubu.
Newsonline reports that the presiding Justice, Donatus Okorowo, on Monday, said the PDP counsel could not show how the substitution of running mates by Peter Obi, Labour Party presidential candidate and Bola Tinubu, All progressives Congress (APC) caused the party injury.
Justice Okorowo held that the court has no jurisdiction to determine how the internal affairs of a political party should be done.
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Justice Okorowo further added that the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Gordy Uche who filed the suit on behalf of PDP was incompetent and unjustifiable as it disclosed no reasonable cause of action.
Recall that in the deadline for submission of names of presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Peter Obi and Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidates of the Labour Party and APC respectively submitted the names of Doyin Okupe and Kabiru Masari as vice-presidential candidates respectively.
In the suit with no with No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1016/2022, 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.