2015: CASE ON JONATHAN’S ELIGIBILITY MOVES TO S/COURT

The suit challenging the eligibility of President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2015 presidential election has shifted to the Supreme Court where it will come up on Monday. The apex court is scheduled to hear a motion filed by a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Dr. Umar Ardo, challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja division, last month that shut him out of the substantive suit.
The appellant had sought to be joined as an interested party in a suit brought by Mr. Cyriacus Njoku, challenging Jonathan’s eligibility to seek re-election in February. In the appeal before the apex court, Ardo is praying for an order of accelerated hearing in his case before the closure of submission of names of nominated candidates by the parties to INEC fixed for December 18. He is also asking for an abridgement of time to file his briefs of argument before the apex court.
It is recalled that a panel of three justices of the Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision described Ardo as a “busy body and meddlesome interloper” for seeking to join in the case. The court also awarded N50, 000 each as cost against Ardo in favour of the president and the PDP.
In the substantive appeal, originally filed by the plaintiff at the lower court, - Njoku, who is challenging the judgment of Justice Mudashiru N. Oniyangi of the FCT high court that Jonathan was eligible to contest the forthcoming presidential election.
Njoku is seeking for a court order declaring that the tenure of office President Jonathan began on May 6, 2010 when his first term began and his two terms shall end on May 29, 2015 after taking his second Oath on May 29, 2011. The appellant want the court to restrain the PDP from sponsoring or attempting to sponsor Jonathan as candidate for election after the expiration of his two terms on May 29, 2015.
Source: Daily Trust