The Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the alleged dual nomination of Kashim Shettima, the Vice President-elect. In its ruling, the apex court agreed with the lower Courts’ decision that the PDP lacked the legal standing to initiate such a case.
Justice Adamu Jauro, who delivered the judgment, observed that the PDP had interfered as an unauthorized interloper in an internal matter of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The court awarded a penalty of two million naira (N2,000,000) against the PDP, and the case was dismissed for lacking merit.
The justices further denounced the PDP’s behavior as misleading the court, describing it as regrettable. They reminded the party of a previous case involving Uche Nwosu, where they made a decision based on specific circumstances and were well-informed about the details.
Regarding Shettima’s nomination, the justices determined that his withdrawal from the Senate candidacy before assuming the role of vice president did not violate the principle of multiple nominations. They emphasized that the PDP’s lawsuit was destined to fail from the trial court to the Court of Appeal and, finally, the Supreme Court.
Additionally, the justices affirmed that a political party has no right to challenge the actions or decisions of another party or the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about another party.
They stated that only a neutral person who is an aspirant and a party member would have the legal standing to contest the nomination process of a political party.
The court also highlighted a similar situation in 1999 involving Atiku Abubakar’s nomination as a governorship candidate, later transitioning to become the Vice Presidential Candidate for Olusegun Obasanjo.
Atiku’s running mate took over the governorship nomination, and the PDP opposed holding a fresh election until it reached the Supreme Court. The court questioned the PDP about what had changed since then.
The PDP’s lawsuit alleged that Shettima’s nomination as Tinubu’s running mate violated several provisions of the Electoral Act 2022. However, the court ruled that the opposition party had no grounds for its claims.
