Presidential polls: Again court adjourns APM’s petition on Shettima’s double nomination
From: Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has further adjourned proceedings till June 19 in the petition by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) challenging the nomination of Kashim Shettma as a replacement for Kabir Masari as the vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The petition has suffered several adjournments in the past due to the inability to obtain a copy of the judgment of the Supreme Court on the appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the APC’s nomination of Shettima, which the PDP had termed double nomination.
Justice Haruna Tsammani’s five-member panel had, on June 2, adjourned the petition to enable the counsel to the APM, Shehu Abubakar, and other parties to obtain copies of the May 26 judgment of the Supreme Court. APM had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission, All Progressives Congress, Tinubu, Shettima and APC’s initial Vice-presidential placeholder, Kabiru Masari, alleging that Shettima, while being fielded by the APC as its Borno South Senatorial District candidate, accepted to run as vice presidential candidate to Tinubu.
At the resumed sitting on Friday, counsel to the petitioner, Yakubu
Maikaswa, informed the court that he had not been able to get the said apex court judgment.
He said, even the lawyers representing Tinubu and APC, who brought the issue, had been unable to get the judgment or even furnish him with a copy.
The petitioner said, based on the development, he wanted his petition to be heard and subsequently asked for further adjournment to hear his case on the ground that he would be going for a “procedure” next week.
