Buhari asks court to dismiss suits seeking to disqualify him

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), yesterday, queried the competence of two separate suits seeking to disqualify him from contesting against President Goodluck Jonathan on March 28.

The suits that came up for mention yesterday were the ones that were lodged against the APC presidential candidate by two plaintiffs, Mr. Chukwunweike Okafor and Mr. Max Ozoaka, who were both represented in court by their lawyers.

This was even as the APC sent a team of six Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, led by Chief Wole Olanipekun and Prince Lateef Fagbemi, to represent Buhari in the matter.

Ozoaka who is represented by four SANs,  is also seeking for an order of court declaring as invalid the INEC Form C.F. 001 as filled and submitted by Buhari “as being inchoate and manifestly in contravention of the provisions of the Electoral Act.”

He argued that Buhari’s failure/ refusal to attach evidence of his birth certificate and educational qualifications, “which are conditions inherent/ precedent as prescribed in the form,” was in breach of relevant laws in Nigeria pertaining to presidential election.

Consequently, he prayed the court to declare the Form CF. 001 that was submitted to INEC by Buhari  for the 2015 presidential election as incompetent.

Meantime, Buhari, yesterday, challenged  the propriety of orders that were made by Justice Ademola Adeniyi granting leave to the plaintiffs  to serve the court processes on him via substituted means.

The court also granted an order of abridgment of time within which the defendants must respond to the suits.

However, both  Buhari and his party, told the court that they would file applications to challenge the competence of the suits and for the court to set aside all the steps that have been taken in the matter so far.

Thus, they applied for a short adjournment to enable them to file all the necessary documents.