Federal High Court dismisses case challenging Tinubu’s candidacy
Federal High Court dismisses case challenging Tinubu’s candidacy
A case challenging the candidacy of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate (APC) has been dismissed by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
It was the fourth case to be dismissed by the courts in recent weeks.
In the latest case, suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/854/2022, Justice Fadima Aminu Muritala described the plaintiff, Elder Ngozika Ihuoma as a “meddlesome interloper having no locus standi to institute the suit”.
He, therefore, dismissed the case for being speculative after APC’s counsel, Julius Ishola Esq from Babatunde Ogala & Co had urged the Court to dismiss it with high cost for wasting judicial time.
Ihuoma dragged Tinubu and five others to court on 9 June 2022 after the former Lagos State Governor won the APC presidential primary election.
He sought six reliefs, including INEC barring Tinubu from contesting the 2023 presidential election.
In defense of the suit, the law office of Babatunde Ogala (SAN) & Co on behalf of All Progressives Congress filed a counter affidavit in opposition to the Originating Summons and a Notice of Preliminary Objection.
The counter affidavit challenged Ihuoma’s locus standi and grounds for the action.
It sought a court declaration that the case was speculative, pre-emptive, and non-justiciable being the internal affairs of a political party.
The counter affidavit also punctured Ihuoma’s case as academic, theoretical, and an abuse of the court process.
The court on Monday upheld the defense counsel’s objections and struck out the case.
In the last couple of weeks, the courts have dismissed several cases brought against Asiwaju Tinubu by opposition elements, including Action Alliance, for being frivolous, lacking in merit and abuse of court processes.
Bayo Onanuga
Director, Media & Publicity
APC Presidential Campaign Council
November 7, 2022