A Nigerian lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi has filed a fresh suit against the Presidential flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Okay.ng understands that the action, filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, with suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/751/2022, contends that Atiku is not constitutionally qualified to participate in the presidential contest because he is not a Nigerian citizen by birth, which the is required under the Constitution.
Atiku’s co-defendants in the suit are the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
The plaintiff stated in one of the court documents that the first defendant (Atiku) “acquired his citizenship of Nigeria by virtue of the 1961 plebiscite which integrated some people of Northern Cameroon into Nigeria as new citizens of Nigeria
“On the 28th day of May, 2022, the first defendant emerged as the candidate of the second defendant for the 2023 presidential election following the primary election conducted by the first defendant.
“Allowing the first defendant to a participant in the 2023 presidential election as the candidate of the second defendant would amount to a grave desecration of the otherwise sacrosanct and inviolable provisions of Sections 1(1) & (2), 25 and 131(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“The third defendant (INEC) is under a bounden duty to ensure that the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed, nor shall any persons or group of persons take control of the government of Nigeria or any part thereof except in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.”
