Eligibility: Court Strikes Out Suits Against Buhari

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Eligibility: Court Strikes Out Suits Against Buhari

An Abuja High Court yesterday struck out two suits challenging the eligibility of the president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to contest the presidential election on March 28, 2015.


The development was sequel to the withdrawal of the suits by the plaintiffs.


Justice Adeniyi Ademola struck out the suits after the plaintiffs expressed their intentions to withdraw the suits.


The lawyer representing one of the plaintiffs, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), told the judge that his client decided to withdraw his suit to afford the incoming government time to focus on
the “enormous task” of governance.


When the second case which was filed by Max Ozoaka was called, his lawyer, Dr. Chike Amobi, also adduced similar grounds for withdrawing the suit.

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The only suit still pending before the court challenging the eligibility of Buhari to contest the election is the one filed by Ayakeme Whiskey.


The plaintiffs had filed the suits challenging Buhari’s eligibility, asking the court to declare him ineligible to contest in the election on the basis of his alleged failure to submit his certificates of academic qualifications along with his Form CF001 to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The plaintiffs claimed that Buhari’s failure to submit his certificates of academic qualifications contravened the provisions of sections 131 and 318 of the 1999 Constitution and section 31(3) of the Electoral Act, 2010.