Trouble For Atiku As Fresh Suit Seeks His Disqualification Over Citizenship

Again, the citizenship of former Vice President and 2023 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has been questioned ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

This is as a constitutional lawyer, Mr Johnmary Jideobi, on Tuesday, approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge the eligibility of the Adamawa State-born politician.

Naija News recalls that the suit challenging Atiku’s citizenship was first filed in 2019 by a civil society organisation, the Incorporated Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa.

The suit was, however, shelved after a series of arguments by stakeholders.

With barely nine months to the 2023 general elections, Jideobi in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/751/2022, maintained that Atiku, who is the flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is not constitutionally qualified to participate in the presidential contest.

The plaintiff posed two legal questions for the court to determine, after which he sought for seven principal reliefs against Atiku, PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, who were cited as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants in the matter.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, was also joined as the 4th defendant.

Specifically, the plaintiff, asked the court to determine; “Whether by the combined provisions of sections 1(1) & (2), 25 and 131(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), only a Nigeria citizen by birth can contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?”.

As well as, “Whether by the combined interpretation of sections 1(1) & (2), 25(1) & (2) and 131(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and giving the circumstances surrounding the birth of the 1st Defendant, he can be cleared by the 2nd and 3rd Defendants to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?”.