Panic in APC camp as fresh evidence shows Shettima is not qualified to run

Panic in APC camp as fresh evidence shows Shettima is not qualified to run

 

 

There is noticeable strain in the camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential and vice presidential candidates, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Ibrahim Shettima, respectively, since evidence suggests that Shettima is ineligible to run for office, News Week Nigeria reports.

 

 

This was derived from two papers filed by Senator Shettima to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Certified True Copies (CTC) of which Mr. Peter Gregory Obi and his Labour Party (LP) received.

 

The first paper, dated July 14, 2022, revealed Ibrahim Kabir Masari, who had been proposed as Tinubu’s running partner, withdrawing his candidacy for Shettima.

 

However, INEC received and stamped the paper on July 15, 2022.

 

The second document, dated July 15, 2022, shows Shettima withdrawing his nomination for o.ne Lawan Kaka Shehu, who was previously the candidate for Borno Central senatorial District.

 

On July 15, 2022, INEC also received and stamped the paper.

 

It may be noted that the Labour Party/Peter Obi petitioned the Presidential race Petition Court to disqualify Shettima because he was not eligible to contest the race at the time of the poll.

 

The petitioners alleged that on July 14, 2022, Shettima, while still a Senatorial candidate for Borno Central Constituency, knowingly allowed himself to be nominated as Tinubu’s Vice Presidential Candidate on the platform of APC and became the new candidate for the office of Vice President on that date (14 July 2022).

 

The Petitioners relied on Form EC11A, which was signed by Shettima and INEC officials on July 14, 2022.

 

Labour Party/Peter Obi argued:

“Until 15 July 2022, when he signed the Independent National Electoral Commission Senatorial Election Notice of Withdrawal of Candidate Form EC11C, the 1st Respondent was a candidate nominated by the 4th Respondent for the office of Senate in the Borno Central Senatorial Constituency.” The Petitioners hereby plead and will depend on the following at trial:

(i) Borno Central Senatorial Constituency Affidavit and Personal Particulars (Form EC9) filed by the 3rd Respondent on 14 June 2022 and received by the 1st Respondent on 17 June 2022.

 

(ii) Affidavit in Support of Personal Particulars (Form EC9) filed by the 3rd Respondent for the office of Vice­ Presidential Candidate for the Constituency of Nigeria (the Federal Republic of Nigeria) and received by the Is1 Respondent on 15 July 2022.

 

(iii) Notice of Candidate Withdrawal (pursuant to Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2022), Form EC11A dated 14 July 2022, signed by the 3rd Respondent as the New Candidate (Vice Presidential) of the All-Progressives Congress and containing the 3rd Respondent as New Candidate’s passport picture.

 

(iv) Notice of Candidate Withdrawal (Pursuant to Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2022), Form EC11C dated 15 July 2022, signed by the 3rd Respondent as the withdrawing candidate of the All-Progressives Congress for Borno Central Senatorial Constituency and containing the 3rd Respondent’s passport picture.

“At the time the 3rd Respondent purportedly became a Vice­ Presidential Candidate, he was still the 4th Respondent’s nominated Senatorial candidate for the Borno Central Senatorial Constituency.”

Tinubu argued in his appeal to the Tribunal in response to the Peter Obi/Labour Party lawsuit that as of July 14, 2022, when he was nominated as the APC vice­ presidential candidate, Shettima was no longer the APC’s Senatorial candidate for the Borno Central Senatorial election.

 

According to him, the notice of withdrawal signed by Shettima on July 6, 2022, was sent to INEC by authorities on July 15, 2022, allowing APC to submit him as its Vice­ Presidential candidate to INEC.

 

He further alleged that the date on the Notice of Withdrawal does not correspond to the day Shettima withdrew from the Borno Central Senatorial Election.