Presidential Primaries: Ex-Minister Asks Court To Disqualify Tinubu, Atiku

A photo combination of Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu.

The immediate past Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, and a group, Incorporated Trustees of Rights for All International, have filed an originating summons before a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order declaring Nwajiuba as the authentic presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

They also prayed the court to cancel the votes gotten by the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, as well as the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

Nwajiuba who accused the APC presidential candidate of bribing delegates with dollars presented 26 issues for determination by the court.

He specifically asked the court to determine whether the composition of the delegates contravened Article 11(A) 12(1) and 13(1) of the constitution of the APC.

A file photo of the former Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba.

The former minister urged the court to determine if the composition of the delegates at the PDP primary does not contravene Section 33(1) and (5) (c) of the constitution of the party.

He prayed the court to determine whether having regard to the clear unambiguous and express provisions and tenor of Sections 6(6) (A) (B) and (C) read alongside Section 15(5) of the 1999 Constitution, the court has the inherent judicial powers to nullify, cancel, and declare as illegal the presidential primaries of the APC and the PDP.

Nwajiuba asked the court to determine that all the votes cast in favour of Tinubu and Atiku at the special national conventions of the APC and PDP were illegal, null, void, and of no effect whatsoever on the grounds of corruption and selling of delegates’ votes and voter inducement.

Lastly, he prayed the court to decide that having regard to the express provisions of paragraphs 1 and 8 of the 5th schedule of the 1999 Constitution, the alleged corrupt conducts of Tinubu and Atiku in buying votes and inducing delegates with dollars and naira to secure their votes at the special national convention, disqualify them from further seeking, contesting, and holding the office of the President.