Judgement On Atiku, Obi, APM Election Petitions Will Be Delivered Same Day – Tribunal

In the ongoing electoral petition filed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the court heard arguments related to the validity of the nomination of Bola Tinubu as the presidential candidate and his selection of Babagana Shettima as the vice presidential candidate under the All Progressives Congress (APC) party. The petitioner’s legal team relied on the Electoral Act to support their case, asserting that both provisions were violated.

According to the petitioner’s argument, Tinubu, a member of the APC, was validly sponsored by the party in accordance with Section 131(c) of the Constitution.

This sponsorship was not in dispute in the petition. Furthermore, it was claimed that Tinubu, upon his election as President on February 25, 2023, nominated Shettima, also from the same political party, to be his associate and assume the office of Vice President.

The petitioner contended that the responsibility of nominating a vice president lies with the presidential candidate and that the Constitution and Electoral Act do not prescribe the specific manner of such nomination.

Thus, it was argued that Tinubu fulfilled this duty by accurately and satisfactorily nominating Shettima.

However, the petitioner claimed that Shettima’s nomination for the position of Senator representing Borno Central Senatorial District on June 25, 2022, and subsequently as vice president, violated Section 35 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The petitioner argued that the nomination of a vice president should not be conducted through a primary election but rather be solely determined by the presidential candidate.

In response, Tinubu, Shettima, and the APC closed their defense on July 6 in both Atiku’s petition and another petition filed by Peter Obi.

The court announced that it would schedule a date for the closing arguments by the respective counsels involved in the case.

The court’s consideration of the arguments presented by the petitioner and respondents will play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the electoral petition, shedding light on the interpretation and application of relevant constitutional and electoral provisions.