In a remarkable change of events, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) dropped its case contesting President Bola Tinubu’s nomination for the last presidential election on Monday before the Supreme Court.
According to the party, Kashim Shettima, who eventually became Tinubu’s vice presidential candidate, reportedly engaged in double nominations, rendering Tinubu’s candidacy illegal and unconstitutional.
The party claimed that the removal of Kabiru Masari as the first vice presidential candidate and placeholder was illegal under Nigerian law.
However, at Monday’s proceedings, counsel to APM, Chukwuma Machukwu Ume SAN, was put on questioning on the case.
Justice John Inyang Okoro, who threw several questions at Ume, reminded him that the Supreme Court had earlier delivered a judgment to the effect that issues of candidate nomination for election is an internal affair of political parties.
The Presiding Justice drew his further attention to the facts that nothing would be accruable to the APM even if judgment is given in its favour.
Mindful of the hints from the court, Ume applied to withdraw the appeal to reduce the workload of the court.
Following no objections from Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, who stood for Tinubu; Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, represented by Abubakar Mahmoud SAN; and Akin Olujinmi SAN for the All Progressives Congress, APC, Justice John Okoro dismissed the appeal.
The dismissal was done with no cost against the APM and its lead lawyer.
Meanwhile, hearing in the appeal filed by the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, has commenced.