By Kamil Opeyemi
The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) has reserved judgment in the petition by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) against President Bola Tinubu over his choice of running mate, Kashim Shettima.
APM is seeking the nullification of Tinubu’s election on the grounds that his running mate, Kashim Shettma, was not qualified to contest having allegedly engaged in double nomination.
After parties adopted their final written addresses, the chairman of the Panel, Justice Haruna Tsammani announced that judgment was reserved until a date to be communicated to parties.
Justice Tsammani added that the court plans to deliver judgment in the petition by the APM the same day with those of the Peoples Democratic and Labour Party
Respondents in the petition are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC, Tinubu, Shettma and Kabir Masari (who acted as APC’s placeholder before Shettma’s nomination).
The APM’s petition is anchored on the sole ground of non eligibility of the APC presidential ticket, wherein they have raised the issue of the placeholder, Kabiru Masari as the Vice Presidential nominee of the APC and his eventual replacement with Kashim Shettima
According to the APM, there is no such thing as a placeholder.
The respondents adopted their final written addresses on point of law, urging the court to dismiss the petition which is dead on arrival, as it ought not to be filed in the first place while the petitioners adopted their final addresses urging the court to allow the petitions on the ground that it was meritorious.
The APM’s petition was adjourned twice to enable them obtain a copy of the May 26, 2023 Supreme Court judgment which settled the issue of non-qualification of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima over alleged double nomination of Shettima.
The APM had called it’s sole witness, one Aisha Abubakar, an assistant welfare officer of the party, who admitted to being aware of the supreme court judgement delivered on May 26, dismissing the Suit on allegations of double nomination against Kashim Shettima, instigated by the Peoples Democratic Party.