Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general election, is facing a fresh disqualification suit at a Federal High Court in Abuja over his alleged possession of dual citizenship of two countries.
Obi was dragged before the Court by another political party, the National Rescue Movement (NRM) which among others, alleged that the presidential candidate is no longer fit, proper and qualified for the highest plum office in Nigeria on account of his dual citizenship.
The plaintiff in the fresh suit against Obi is praying the court for an order to disqualify him from the presidential race on the ground of breach of the 1999 Constitution.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1842/2022, the Labour Party candidate was accused of acquiring citizenship of Dallas in Texas, United States of America in breach of sections 1 and 137 of Nigeria’s Constitution.
The party through its counsel, Mohammed Danjuma asked for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from recognizing, dealing or affording Peter Obi any right or privilege to stand for the presidential election.
In a 14-paragraph affidavit in support of the suit, Peter Obi was said to have voluntarily acquired Dallas citizenship and the certificate of citizenship presented to him by the Mayor of Dallas, Mr Eric Johnson.
The party produced the picture and video recording of the presentation of the citizenship certificate to establish its case against the defendant.
When the matter came up on Monday, January 16, 2023, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo lambasted the plaintiff for the inability to serve the originating summons on the defendants.
Justice Ekwo thereafter fixed February 10 for mention of the suit and threatened to strike out the case should the plaintiff fail to serve the court process on Peter Obi before the adjourned date.
Defendants in the suit are INEC, Peter Obi and Labour Party as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectfully.
Disgraced Former Buhari Aide Okoi Obono-Obla Makes Outlandish Claim About Peter Obi
Okoi Obono-Obla, a disgraced former presidential aide and, now, spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress, APC, campaign council in Cross River State, has claimed that the presidential candidate of Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi is not eligible for next month’s presidential election.
Obono-Obla, who was dismissed as President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide under a cloud of corruption, in an interview in Calabar on Friday, January 13, 2023, said that at the time Peter Obi contested and won the LP ticket, he was not a member of a political party.
But the chairman and governorship candidate of the LP in Cross River State, Ogar Osim said in their party, they have waivers.
In response, Osim simply sent an SMS: “There’s a provision for waiver in Labour Party.”
However, the APC campaign council spokesman quoted section 77 of the Electoral Act 2022, saying “each party is required to maintain a membership register in hard and soft copy and to make such register available to the Independent National Electoral Commission not later than 30 days before the date fixed for primaries, congresses, and conventions. ”
According to Obono-Obla, “On April 30, 2022, INEC demanded all political parties to submit registers of its members. The Labour Party held its presidential primaries on 31 May 2022. Peter Obi joined the Labour Party on 27 May 2022. It follows that as of 31 May 2022 when Peter Obi purportedly won the ticket of the Labour Party, his name was not on the register of the Labour Party which had been submitted to INEC in compliance with the requirement of Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2022.”
Obono-Obla, a lawyer, explained that one of the constitutional requirements to become a President is that the candidate must belong to a political party, which he said Peter Obi was not.
Source: Daily Post
