BREAKING: Tribunal Strikes Out APM’s Suit Seeking Disqualification Of Shettima

The tribunal has struck out APM’s suit seeking the disqualification of Shettima.

Glamtush reports that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has thrown out a suit brought before it by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) seeking the disqualification of Vice President Kashim Shettima.

This online newspaper understands that the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) accused Vice-President Kashim Shettima of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of double nomination in the 2023 general elections.

The Chairman of the panel, Justice Haruna Tsammani, who read the lead judgement, held that an invalid nomination or double nomination did not qualify as a ground for disqualification in respect of the presidential election as provided in sections 131 and 137 of the constitution.

He also held that Mr Ibrahim Masari, who was nominated as a placeholder by the APC (for the position of the Vice President), was not a necessary party to the petition because he was neither a candidate nor did he win the election.

The Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel of the Presidential Petition Election Tribunal on Wednesday said the Allied Peoples Movement’s petition challenging the qualification of Vice President, Kashim Shettima, was a pre-election matter.

Reading his verdict, Tsammani said the matter ought to have been challenged before the conduct of the presidential election.

He said, “The issue of qualification or disqualification is a constitutional one. The issue of disqualification or qualification is a pre-election matter.

“It must be determined before the conduct of the election. This court has no jurisdiction to hear the matter and even if it does it is status-barred because it is a pre-election matter.”