President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest the
presidential election in 2015, a Federal Capital Territory High Court
declared on Friday.
Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi held that his tenure started on May 29, 2011 when he was sworn in after winning the presidential election and not earlier.
A card carrying member of Peoples Democratic Party from Zuba Ward in Abuja, Cyriacus Njoku, had approached the court following a statement credited to the President that he is serving his first term in office.
According to him, Jonathan cannot
be a candidate in 2015 because he is running a second term in office.
The respondents in the suit are Jonathan, the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The plaintiff also sought for a perpetual order of injunction to stop PDP from nominating Jonathan for the election, and INEC from accepting his name as a presidential candidate.
Delivering judgment in the suit, Justice Oniyangi observed that Jonathan only ascended to power in May 6, 2010 by the doctrine of necessity pronounced by the National Assembly following the death of the then President, late Umaru Musa Yar’adua.
He said this could not be misconstrued as his first term in office.
Describing the suit as speculative, the court held that the plaintiff failed to establish the fact that the Jonathan had declared for the 2015 presidential election.
CURLED FROM THE NATION
Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi held that his tenure started on May 29, 2011 when he was sworn in after winning the presidential election and not earlier.
A card carrying member of Peoples Democratic Party from Zuba Ward in Abuja, Cyriacus Njoku, had approached the court following a statement credited to the President that he is serving his first term in office.
According to him, Jonathan cannot
be a candidate in 2015 because he is running a second term in office.
The respondents in the suit are Jonathan, the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The plaintiff also sought for a perpetual order of injunction to stop PDP from nominating Jonathan for the election, and INEC from accepting his name as a presidential candidate.
Delivering judgment in the suit, Justice Oniyangi observed that Jonathan only ascended to power in May 6, 2010 by the doctrine of necessity pronounced by the National Assembly following the death of the then President, late Umaru Musa Yar’adua.
He said this could not be misconstrued as his first term in office.
Describing the suit as speculative, the court held that the plaintiff failed to establish the fact that the Jonathan had declared for the 2015 presidential election.
CURLED FROM THE NATION