Court strikes out former minister's lawsuit which sought to disqualify Tinubu and Atiku over alleged vote buying

 A lawsuit filed by the immediate past Minister of state for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, which sought to nullify the candidacy of Bola Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and that of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, has been struck out by a federal high court in Abuja.

 

Nwajiuba had in the lawsuit filed through Okere Nnamdi, alleged that the primaries that produced Tinubu as the APC presidential candidate was tainted by corruption and widespread vote buying. He also claimed that the majority of the delegates were bought with dollars.

The plaintiff who also queried Tinubu’s source of income and his educational qualifications, further claimed that Atiku engaged in vote buying.

 

Delivering judgement on Thursday, December 15, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter on the grounds that the plaintiffs do not have the locus standi to file the suit.

Ekwo who also condemned the involvement of RAI, a non-governmental organisation, in the politically motivated case, said; 

 

“It is only in this country that an association registered for charitable purposes will venture into partisan politics with such audacious sense of impunity.

“At this time in the political journey of this country, politics and political activities must be left to those who are authorized by law to do so.

“This action by the first plaintiff (RAI) is an outrageous act and an aberration to all known principles of the law of associations. In short, it is the height of lawlessness and ought to be stopped forthwith.

“Associations registered under Part F of the CAMA 2020 must understand the limits of their operations under the law. Where they fail to do so, the legal sanctions will apply.”

 

The Judge further ordered the dissolution of RAI and asked the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to take over the group in accordance with the provisions of the law on the dissolution of bodies registered pursuant to Part F of the CAMA 2020.

Court strikes out former minister's lawsuit which sought to disqualify Tinubu and Atiku over alleged vote buying (lindaikejisblog.com)