The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has okayed a fresh suit seeking to disqualify the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from contesting the 2023 general elections.
The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1864/2022 was instituted by the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
The PDP is challenging the legality of the process that produced both national officers of the APC and its candidates for next year’s elections.
It is praying the court to disqualify all candidates nominated to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Extraordinary Convention Committee of the APC.
The plaintiff, through its team of lawyers led by Mr. Ayo Ajibade (SAN) argues that every nomination that was made by the Governor Buni-led Committee was done in breach and gross violation of extant provisions of both the Electoral Act, 2022, and the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The PDP anchored the suit on a subsisting judgment the Federal High Court delivered on September 30, 2022, which declared as illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional, all actions and activities that were carried out by the Governor Buni-led Committee, including the nomination of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola for the recently conducted governorship election in Osun State.
The plaintiff noted that the High Court, in its judgment delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite, nullified the nomination of both Oyetola and his Deputy, Benedict Alabi as APC candidates for the governorship poll on the premise that Governor Buni, who submitted their names to the INEC, violated provisions of Section 183 of the Constitution and Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.
Among 53 persons listed as defendants in PDP’s fresh suit include the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; his running mate Kashim Shetima, as well as all governorship candidates of the party and their deputies.
The suit is also seeking to disqualify all APC candidates for the Senatorial and House of Representatives elections.
Meanwhile, the suit has been assigned to Justice Inyang Ekwo, who has fixed it for mention on November 22.
Sources said already, the suit has raised anxiety in the ruling party, as the court further directed service of the relevant processes on all the defendants.