Party chieftain drags Tinubu, Atiku to court over funding

A rights advocate and stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ngozika Ihuoma, has dragged the presidential standard-bearers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Bola Tinubu and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar before a Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly violating extant electoral laws.

In the suit marked FHC/ ABJ/CS/854/2022, the two presidential candidates were sued alongside the APC, PDP, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

While Mr. Ihuoma is asking the court to bar Senator Bola Tinubu and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar from participating in the 2023 presidential election, he also urged the court to de-register the APC and PDP for their flagrant violation of the constitution of the country.

In his brief, Ihuoma told the court that Tinubu, Atiku, APC and PDP, marked as 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants respectively, violated a clear and unambiguous section of the constitution of the country which forbids support groups funding election expenses of any party or candidate.

He cited Section 221 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, which provides that: “No Association, other than a political party shall canvas for votes for any candidate at any election or contribute to the funds of any political party or to the election expenses of any candidate at an election.”

In his affidavit supporting the originating summons, the plaintiff told the court that following the violation of the law by the first and second defendants which exposed his party to obvious disqualification, he was forced to shelve his presidential ambition.

He argued: “I know as a fact that both the APC and PDP had crossed the red line and ran contrary to the constitution by allowing different interest groups and associations to donate funds and purchase Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms for members of their political parties.”

Ihuoma explained that the desecration of the constitution was so flagrant that many strange and innocuous groups took over the responsibilities of both the candidates and their political parties.

He cited some instances of the violation of Section 221 of the Constitution  to include the activities of the Rice Farmers Association (Godwin Emefiele); Tinubu Support Group (Bola Ahmed Tinubu); National Stability Project (Ahmed Lawan); Project Nigeria (Emeka Nwajiuba); Osinbajo Support Group (Prof. Yemi Osinbajo); North-East Business Community (Atiku Abubakar) and Berekete Family (Udom Emmanuel) among others.

He added that the listed groups and others like them funded APC and PDP aspirants in various political interests by purchasing their Expression of Interest and Nomination forms via its accounts with Polaris Bank with the following account number, 1771444115 belonging to the APC and 1140060876 and 1770319690 belonging to the PDP.

“It was my fear of this fundamental breach of the constitution by the APC and PDP, and the likelihood of being sanctioned and deregistered that prevented me from purchasing my Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms and not participating in the process of nomination of APC candidate for the 2023 presidential election,” he said.

Ihuoma also prayed the court to order INEC, as part of its monitoring functions, to seize funds raised by the APC and PDP from selling Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to support groups and associations and to pay same into the Federation account in line with Section 162(1) and (10) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended. No date has been fixed for hearing on the matter. (New Telegraph)