2023: A New Suit Seeks to Disqualify Atiku, Queries His Citizenship

Mr. Johnmary Jideobi, a constitutional lawyer, petitioned the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday to challenge former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s eligibility to run in the 2023 presidential election.

The plaintiff argued in the FHC/ABJ/CS/751/2022 suit that Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, is not constitutionally qualified to run for office.

As a result, he posed two legal questions to the court, after which he sought seven major reliefs from Atiku, the PDP, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, who were named as the first, second, and third defendants in the case.

As a fourth defendant, the Attorney-General of the Federation was added.

Specifically, the plaintiff, asked the court to determine; “Whether by the combined provisions of sections 1(1) & (2), 25 and 131(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), only a Nigeria citizen by birth can contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?”.

As well as, “Whether by the combined interpretation of sections 1(1) & (2), 25(1) & (2) and 131(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and giving the circumstances surrounding the birth of the 1st Defendant, he can be cleared by the 2nd and 3rd Defendants to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?”.