2015: PDP, APC Members Seek Jonathan's Disqualification

Less than five months before the 2015 general elections hold across Nigeria, two members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Congress, APC, have asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to disqualify President Goodluck Jonathan from seeking re-election.

According to the suit filed against President Jonathan, the plaintiffs, Adejumo Ajagbe, a PDP member from Lagos State, and Olatoye Wahab, a member of APC from Osun State, also joined the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, as defendants.

The plaintiffs maintained that going by the 1999 Constitution (as amended), President Jonathan, having contested the presidential election twice, won and taken the oath of office and allegiance twice in respect of that office, could no longer present himself for election to that office the third time.

They relied on the provisions of Sections 132(1), 135(2)(a) and (b), 137(1)(b), 142(1) and (2) and the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Marwa and Nyako (2012) 6 NWLR (Part 1296) 199 at 306.

The plaintiffs also argued that by the provision of the Constitution, the President and Vice President, who were elected in the same election and sworn into office on the same date and at the same ceremony were in the eyes of the law, deemed to have been elected for one single term of four years, notwithstanding the death or even impeachment of the President.

They also insisted that the reference to “two previous elections” in Section 137(1)(b) of the Constitution, includes two previous oath of allegiance and oath of office taken by President Jonathan.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that the suit has been assigned to Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed for hearing.

Though President Jonathan is yet to officially declare his ambition to contest for the presidency in 2015, his party, the PDP last week announced that the incumbent president has been chosen as its flag bearer for the presidential election.

Jonathan has since said that he was humbled and overwhelmed by the party’s decision, and promised to positively utilize his mandate.