The Presidential Election Petitions Court has dismissed the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) petition that questioned the eligibility of President Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima.
The Tribunal ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to hear this petition, as the issues were related to pre-election matters that should have been addressed in a high court. Justice Haruna Tsammani, in his lead judgment, stated that the 180-day timeframe for such matters had already expired.
Additionally, the court cited the Alhassan vs. Ishaku case, affirming that election tribunals cannot handle primary election disputes. The Court emphasized that only aspirants in the party primary can challenge nomination by substitution.
Furthermore, it clarified that one political party cannot challenge the nomination mode of a candidate in another party, except as outlined in Sections 131 and 137 of the Constitution. This decision aligns with the Supreme Court’s previous ruling on May 26, which dismissed the double nomination case against INEC, Kashim Shettima, and others.
