An Abuja-based Federal High Court on Thursday dismissed yet another lawsuit seeking to disqualify the foremost presidential candidate in the country and respected national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the race.
The lawsuit, captioned FHC/ABJ/CS/942/2022, was instituted by the former minister of State for Education Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and the incorporated trustees of Rights for All International (RAI); a non-governmental organisation had the presidential candidate of the opposition party; People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar as co-defendant.
Through the suit, they prayed that the court annul the primaries that brought in Tinubu and Abubakar alleging that the processes were characterized by vote buying and corruption.
Through the counsel, Nwajiuba and the other plaintiffs questioned Tinubu’s source of income and his educational qualifications.
Delivering judgment the presiding judge, Inyang Ekwo, made it known that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter on the grounds that the plaintiffs do not have the locus standi to file the suit.
The judge went on to criticize RAI for its involvement in politically-motivated cases.
“It is only in this country that an association registered for charitable purposes will venture into partisan politics with such audacious sense of impunity,” he said.
“At this time in the political journey of this country, politics and political activities must be left to those who are authorized by law to do so.
“This action by the first plaintiff (RAI) is an outrageous act and an aberration to all known principles of the law of associations. In short, it is the height of lawlessness and ought to be stopped forthwith.
“Associations registered under Part F of the CAMA 2020 must understand the limits of their operations under the law. Where they fail to do so, the legal sanctions will apply.”
Going harder on RAI, the judge ordered its dissolution and asked the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to take over the group in line with the provisions of the law on the dissolution of bodies registered pursuant to Part F of the CAMA 2020.
