The Supreme Court, on Monday, dismissed the appeal filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) challenging the Presidential Election Petition Court’s judgement affirming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory.
A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court chaired by Justice Inyang Okoro chastised the APM lawyer, Chukwuma Machukwu-Ume, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, for bringing an appeal that he alleged was without merit.
The panel asked what the APM stood to gain by the appeal, citing this as one of the factors contributing to the overburden on the Supreme Court.
It said the appeal would amount to a total waste of time and an academic exercise since the party only wanted the apex court to “state the law.”
“If we are idle, then maybe we will state the law. If there is nothing for you to gain from an appeal, you don’t just come to court for interpretation.
“If for instance that you win a case, there must be something to be gained from the victory. We have read your appeal, there is absolutely nothing in it. You are not asking for your candidate to declared winner or anything of such, all you want is for the President to be removed.
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“If we remove the President, then what next? There are two other appeals here that are asking for something substantial,” Jutice Okoro fumed.
Earlier, a member of the panel, Justice Emmanuel Agim, noted that issues the APM raised in its appeal, was previously decided by the Supreme Court.
“We are not bound to hear every appeal. What you are asking us is to overrule ourselves. Did you not read our decision on the issue of double nomination,” Justice Agim queried APM’s lawyer.
Following the position of the panel on the matter, Mr. Machukwu Ume, SAN, withdrew the appeal and it was accordingly struck out.
The party had in its 10-ground of appeal, maintained its position that Tinubu was not eligible to participate in the presidential poll that held on February 25.
It argued that Tinubu’s running mate and Vice President, Kashim Shettima, was nominated twice for different positions by the All Progressives Congress, APC, in relation to the 2023 general elections.
