Labour Party has reacted to a lawsuit seeking the disqualification of its Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, from the 2023 Presidential elections.
Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic party, PDP filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to stop Obi and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress from selecting new running mates.
The PDP also asked the court to rule that Tinubu and Obi cannot run for office unless they do so with their respective former running mates, Kabiru Masari and Doyin Okupe.
In the originating summons with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1016/2022, the PDP is seeking an order barring the Independent National Electoral Commission from replacing the running mates of Tinubu and Obi. The first to seventh respondents in the case are INEC, APC, Tinubu, Masari, Labour Party, Obi, and Okupe.
The PDP asked the court to determine if by the combined interpretation of Section 142(1) of the constitution, Section 29(1), 31, and 33 of the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s timetable, Tinubu and Obi are bound by the submission of Masari and Okupe respectively as their running mates.
Speaking on the matter, Labour Party’s lawyer, Alex Ejesieme, confirmed the suit saying: “I have received the processes and we are filing a response already,” he said.
