Shettima: Qualification, Disqualification of Candidates A Pre-election Matter – Declares Tribunal

By Akeem Oduyoye

The Presidential Petition Election Tribunal headed by Justice Haruna Tsammani on Wednesday, declared that the Allied Peoples Movement’s APM) petition challenging the qualification of Vice President, Kashim Shettima, was a pre-election matter.

Justice Tsammani, reading the verdict on behalf of  four other judges, said the matter ought to have been challenged before the conduct of the presidential election.

 “The issue of qualification or disqualification is a constitutional one. The issue of disqualification or qualification is a pre-election matter.

“It must be determined before the conduct of the election. This court has no jurisdiction to hear the matter and even if it does it is status-barred because it is a pre-election matter.”

Earlier, Tsammani said the tribunal would deliver judgment on the APM’s petition first.

Justice Tsammani said judgments’ would be delivered separately on the petitions.

 “We will deliver judgments on the petitions separately. The petition, number four will be treated first,” he added