Tribunal deems APC’s challenge to Peter Obi’s LP membership invalid
The Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) has ruled that the All Progressives Congress (APC) lacks the legal standing to challenge Peter Obi’s membership in the Labour Party (LP).
Both the APC and Bola Tinubu had, in their petitions, argued that Obi’s name was not included in the list of LP members submitted to INEC on April 25, 2022, which they claimed violated Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
However, in the lead judgment on the objections raised by the APC against the petitions of Obi and the LP, Justice Abba Bello Mohammed (before he handed over the ruling to Justice Haruna Tsammani) stated that the matter was solely an internal affair of the political party.
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“It is only the second respondent (LP) that has the sole prerogative of determining its members,” he emphasized.
Justice Mohammed also dismissed the APC’s objection regarding the non-joinder of PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar in Obi and LP’s petition challenging the election results.
He ruled that Atiku was not a necessary party in the petition.
