JUSTICE Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a suit challenging the Nigerian citizenship of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Justice Ekwo made the order today in his judgment in a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa querying the Nigerian citizenship of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The court cautioned some so-called NGO’s to refrain from filing frivolous applications targeted at harassing politically exposed Nigerians.
In addition, Justice Ekwo held that the plaintiff lacks the locus standi to institute the legal action, describing them as “busy body and meddlesome interlopers.
In the suit, the group had asked the court to disqualify Atiku as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and to restrain him from contesting the February 16, 2019, presidential election over alleged circumstances surrounding his citizenship.
The suit which was filed on 11th February 2019, has Atiku, PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as well as the Attorney General of Adamawa state as defendants.
Specifically, the plaintiff had approached the court for an interpretation of Sections 25(1) & (2) and 131(a) of the 1999 Constitution.
By the suit, the plaintiff prayed for “A declaration that by the combined interpretation of Sections 25(l) & (2) and 131(a) of the Constitution and given the circumstances surrounding Atiku’s birth, he cannot be cleared by PDP and INEC to contest for the post of president.”
