The Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna to quash a case brought before it by two chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking to stop him from contesting for the presidency in 2015.
The counsel representing President Jonathan made the request on Monday at the hearing of the case.
The suit was brought before the court by the two members of the PDP, Richard Mneaga, and Shuaibu Lilli.
They are seeking among other things, an order of the court to disqualify President Jonathan from presenting himself as the presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2015 election.
They also wanted the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission to restrain the PDP from accepting nomination of Jonathan as a presidential candidate in the 2015 election.
In the suit filed on October 7, 2013, they insisted that Jonathan had completed eight years in office as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria calculated from May 29, 2007, when Late Yar’Adua was sworn-in. President Jonathan was his vice president at that time.
The plaintiffs are seeking “a declaration that President Jonathan is not entitled to a tenure of office as President exceeding eight years calculated from 2007”.
However, the president, through his counsel, Fabian Ajoku(SAN) told the court to dismiss the petition as the plaintiffs lack the legal right or capacity to bring the matter before the court, expressing optimism that the case would be struck out at the end of the day.
But counsel to the petitioners, Abiodun Owonikoko, asked the court to treat the case based on its merit.
Before the ruling, there was a mild drama inside the court room over double representation by two separate counsels to Jonathan, which was temporarily resolved by the presiding judge, Justice Evelyn Anyadike.
The case has been adjourned to February 12, 2013 for hearing.
