Court adjourns suits on Buhari’s eligibility

Adeniyi Ademola, justice of the federal high court in Abuja, has adjourned all cases in the suits brought against Muhammadu Buhari, All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, to April 22 and 23. 

Ademola also dismissed the application for joinder brought by other two parties, stating that they had no business in the case. About 10 suits – now consolidated – challenging the eligibility of Buhari to contest the 2015 presidential election have been filed in court.

On Tuesday, the court had set aside ruling on the joinder to the suit brought against Buhari by Chukwuwinke Okafor asking the court to disqualify the APC presidential candidate on the ground‎ that he did not tender his academic credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) while applying for nomination to contest the election. Mike Ozekhome, counsel to Okafor, had argued that the parties seeking to join the suit were interlopers and he urged the court to grant accelerated hearing to his case. Consequently, the court on Wednesday ruled that the parties seeking to join the suit had not business with it. Lateef Fagbami, counsel to APC, and Abubakar Malaki, counsel to Buhari, are asking the court to dismiss the suit against their client on the ground that it lacks the jurisdiction to hear the matter. ‎The court has fixed April 22 and 23 for hearing of the suits. There had been speculations that Buhari would be disqualified before the March 28 presidential election. However, the decision of the court has somewhat doused the speculations and agitations, especially by the APC, which accused President Goodluck Jonathan of plotting to use the court to stop Buhari and eventually scuttle the election. INEC, which is also a defendant in the suit, is seeking to stop any move that may lead to an abortion of the elections.