A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, dismissed the suit seeking to challenge former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s eligibility to contest the 2023 Presidency.
Delivering judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo dismissed the suit on the grounds that the plaintiff that instituted the case lacks the locus standi (legal right) to do so.
Justice Ekwo described the plaintiff as “busy body and meddlesome interloper.”
A group – Incorporated Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa (EMA) – in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/177/2019 had sued Atiku, PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as 1st to 4th respondents, respectively.
The group challenged Atiku’s eligibility to contest for president alleging that he is not a Nigerian citizen by birth.
The Adamawa State government also through its Attorney-General (AG) on July 27, 2021 sought an order of the court to be joined in the suit.
The court, in a ruling on the motion dated April 26 and filed June 24, granted the prayer of the AG of Adamawa to be joined in the case as 5th defendant.
The Adamawa government had told the court that Atiku is eligible to vie for the office of the president.