On Wednesday afternoon, the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal dismissed the ruling All Progressives Congress’ suit challenging the eligibility of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to run in the 2023 general election.
The APC had declared Obi’s membership in the LP incompetent.
Justice Abba Mohammed, a member of the five-member panel that read the main judgement, stated that political party membership is an internal matter.
President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima had contended that they had the locus standi to institute the petition on the grounds that Obi only joined the LP a few days before the election, instead of the mandatory 30 days.
However, the court held that it was not the prerogative of Tinubu and Shettima to challenge Obi’s candidacy.
Mohammed said, “The issue of membership of a political party is an internal party affair.”