In a significant development at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, the petition filed by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the eligibility of Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to contest the 2023 general election has been dismissed.
The APC had raised concerns about Peter Obi’s membership in the Labour Party, deeming it incompetent.
Justice Abba Mohammed, a member of the five-member tribunal panel who delivered the lead judgment, emphasized that membership in a political party is an internal matter.
President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima contended that they had the legal standing to initiate the petition, citing Obi’s late enrollment in the Labour Party, which allegedly violated the mandatory 30-day requirement.
However, the tribunal ruled that challenging Obi’s candidacy on the grounds of party membership was not within the purview of Tinubu and Shettima.
Justice Mohammed declared, “The issue of membership in a political party is an internal party affair.”
This judgment affirms the tribunal’s stance on the internal affairs of political parties and underscores the importance of adhering to established legal processes.