Fresh suit seeks to disqualify Atiku, queries his citizenship

The Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to disqualify the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar from contesting the 2023 election in view of the unresolved question about his citizenship.

The request form part of the reliefs being sought in a fresh suit filed on Tuesday by a lawyer,  Johnmary Jideobi.

Jideobi is contending, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/751/2022,  that Atiku is not constitutionally qualified to participate in the presidential contest because he is not a Nigerian citizen by birth as required under the Constitution.

Consequently, he posed two legal questions for the court to determine, afterwhich 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 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?”.