A constitutional lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi has dragged the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party before a Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking his disqualification from the 2023 presidential election.
Recall that Atiku had last Saturday emerged the PDP presidential flagbearear, having polled 371 votes at end of the party’s special convention.
But Jideobi filed the fresh suit on Tuesday against Atiku, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/751/2022, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In the suit, the plaintiff argued that Atiku is not constitutionally qualified to participate in next year’s presidential election.
The lawyer sought seven principal reliefs against Atiku, PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission. He cited them as first, second and third defendants, respectively in the matter. He also joined the Attorney-General of the Federation as the fourth defendant.
Specifically, the plaintiff asked the court to determine “Whether by the combined provisions of sections 1(1) & (2), 25 and 131(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), only a Nigeria citizen by birth can contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?
“Whether by the combined interpretation of sections 1(1) & (2), 25(1) & (2) and 131(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and giving the circumstances surrounding the birth of the 1st Defendant, he can be cleared by the 2nd and 3rd Defendants to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?”
