BY Dyepkazah Shibayan
The supreme court has struck out a suit seeking to disqualify President Muhammadu Buhari as a candidate in presidential election over an allegation that he lied under oath.
Kalu Kalu Agu, Labaran Ismail, Hassy Jyari El-Kunis sued the president for allegedly lying under oath in a form he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the last general election.
The appellants took their appeal to the apex court after it was struck out by the court of appeal.
The appellate court said the suit was statute-barred as it is a pre-election matter.
At the court on Monday, a five-man panel of judges led by Rita Odili held that it was a pre-election matter because it was filed outside the 14 days stipulated by law.
The panel also frowned at the appearance of Abdullahi Abubakar, a principal state counsel of the justice ministry, of appearing for Buhari in a personal litigation.
“This practice must be discouraged, appeal haven been withdrawn is hereby dismissed,” the panel said.
The appellants had wanted Buhari’s nomination and victory at the presidential election nullified on the grounds that he lied on oath in his form 001 that he submitted to INEC for the purpose of clearance for the presidential election.
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