The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, challenging the candidacy of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election.
In a judgment on Thursday, a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice John Okoro, found that the case was statute barred and that it has become an academic exercise.
They dismissed the appeal after the appellants’ lawyer, John Awa Kalu applied to withdraw it.
Justice Okoro held: “Upon the application for withdrawal by the appellant’s counsel and without any objection from the respondent’s counsel, the appeal is dismissed.”
The Supreme Court, by its decision, affirmed the two previous decisions by the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, both in Abuja.
Nwajiuba had, in his suit before the Federal High Court, sought among others the voiding of Tinubu’s candidacy on the grounds that he and his part, the All Progressives Congress (APC) allegedly failed to disclose the source of the N100 million he paid for the nomination and expression of interest forms, relying on the provision of section 84(13) of the Electoral Act 2022.
In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1114/2022, Nwajiuba prayed the court, among others, to declare him as the presidential candidate of the APC on the grounds that he was the only aspirant who disclosed the source of the N100m he paid to toe the party for his nomination and expression of interest forms.
Listed as defendants in the suit are Tinubu, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a judgment on November 23, 2022 Justice Zainab Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Abuja upheld that preliminary objection filed by the defendants – Tinubu and APC – and held that Nwajiuba’s suit was statute barred by virtue of the provisions of section 285(9) of the 1999 Constitution.
Nwajiuba appealed the decision at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, and in its judgment on February 24, 2013, a three-member panel of the court dismissed the appeal and affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court.
The Court of Appeal held that the trial court rightly held that it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit as the suit was filed outside the statutorily mandated and allowed period of 14 days.
It noted that appeal is a process of rehearing a case, and the trial court, having been robbed of jurisdiction, the Court of Appeal lacks the jurisdiction to entertain it.
The court added: “The persuasion that this Court should overturn the Supreme Court as stated in Okechuckwu v INEC will not succeed this court being an intermediary court.
“That decision is binding on even the Supreme Court until set aside, more so when same was delivered by the current Chief Justice of Nigeria.
“The appeal is lacking in merit and is hereby dismissed,” the court said.
It awarded a cost of N3 million against Nwajiuba, requiring him to pay N1m to each of the three respondents – Tinubu, APC and INEC.
DSS CONFIRMS PLOT FOR INTERIM GOVERNMENT BY MISGUIDED POLITICAL ACTORS
The Department of State Services (DSS) has identified some key players in the plot for an Interim Government in Nigeria. The Service considers the plot, being pursued by these entrenched interests, as not only an aberration but a mischievous way to set aside the constitution and undermine civil rule as well as plunge the country into an avoidable crisis. The illegality is totally unacceptable in a democracy and to the peace loving Nigerians. This is even more so that the machination is taking place after the peaceful conduct of the elections in most parts of the country.
The planners, in their many meetings, have weighed various options, which include, among others, to sponsor endless violent mass protests in major cities to warrant a declaration of State of Emergency. Another is to obtain frivolous court injunctions to forestall the inauguration of new executive administrations and legislative houses at the Federal and State levels.
The DSS supports the President and Commander-in-Chief in his avowed commitment to a hitch-free handover and will assiduously work in this direction. It also supports the Presidential Transition Council and such other related bodies in the States. It will collaborate with them and sister security and law enforcement agencies to ensure seamless inaugurations come 29th May, 2023.
Consequently, the Service strongly warns those organising to thwart democracy in the country to retract from their devious schemes and orchestrations.
Stakeholders, notably judicial authorities, media and the Civil Society, are enjoined to be watchful and cautious to avoid being used as instruments to subvert peace and stability of the nation. While its monitoring continues, the DSS will not hesitate to take decisive and necessary legal steps against these misguided elements to frustrate their obnoxious intentions.
Peter Afunanya PhD fsi
Public Relations Officer
Department of State Services
National Headquarters
Abuja
