Three members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have
urged the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja to disqualify a former defence
minister Musiliu Obanikoro from seeking governorship nomination in the party’s
primaries.
They said having previously presented a forged birth
certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the
April 2007 election, Obanikoro is ineligible to present himself for nomination.
According to them, official records, such as his Nigerian
and diplomatic passports, show that Obanikoro was born on July 28, 1960, but he
allegedly falsified it to July 28, 1954.
Besides, the applicants said Obanikoro also allegedly lied
in 2007 when he failed to disclose to INEC that he has dual citizenship.
They prayed the court to determine whether, having
voluntarily acquired the citizenship of the United States of America in
addition to that of Nigeria without renouncing the former and declaring
allegiance to the latter, Obanikoro is eligible to seek nomination.
The plaintiffs – Michael Ogunsuada, Suleiman Saheed and
Wasiu Odusan – are seeking a declaration that Obanikoro stands disqualified
from aspiring for nomination in PDP’s governorship primaries or that of any other
party for the purposes of contesting either in next year’s election or
subsequent polls by virtue of his antecedents.
They prayed for an order of perpetual injunction restraining
him from participating in PDP’s governorship primaries scheduled for December
8.
They also sought an order restraining the party from
nominating Obanikoro to INEC to contest next year’s governorship election in
Lagos or any other election in Nigeria.
The plaintiffs, who joined Obanikoro, INEC and PDP as
respondents, further sought a restraining order against INEC from accepting
Obanikoro’s nomination by PDP for any election.
In a supporting affidavit filed on November 14, Ogunsuada
said he is a loyal party man who is determined to ensure that only a high
quality candidate and person of character and competence who fulfils all
constitutional requirements is nominated.
“I am likely to be gravely prejudiced if the aspiration for
nomination of the first respondent (Obanikoro) as a candidate in the primaries
of the third respondent (PDP) is not restrained considering his shady
antecedents…,” the deponent said.
The applicants lawyers also filed an affidavit of urgency
praying that the application be heard quickly as PDP’s screening exercise will
hold between November 22 and 25.
They stated that if the suit is not heard and determined
urgently, Obanikoro may present himself for screening while the applicants “may
lose their rights to challenge the respondents.”
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