According to report by the channelstv.com, The presiding Judge, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi on Friday, ruled that President Jonathan is eligible to contest the forthcoming 2015 presidential election if he so desires.
Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi held that Jonathan’s assumption of the office of president after the
demise of late former President Umar Yar’Adua was in line with what the National Assembly aptly described as Doctrine of Necessity and not as a result of emerging winner in any by-election conducted after the death of the late former president.
demise of late former President Umar Yar’Adua was in line with what the National Assembly aptly described as Doctrine of Necessity and not as a result of emerging winner in any by-election conducted after the death of the late former president.
However, Justice Oniyangi stated that his judgment does not in any way make President Jonathan an automatic candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
He warned that his decision should not be misconstrued to mean that Jonathan has become an automatic candidate of the party for the 2015 presidential election.
The court further held that the president’s tenure of office begins to count from 29th May, 2011 when he was sworn into office as the elected president of Nigeria and not 6th May, 2010 when he assumed office following Yar’Adua’s death.
The court held that the suit as presently constituted does not disclose any cause of action and that the plaintiff, Mr. Cyriakus Njoku, lacks the locus standi in instituting the case.
Cyriakus Njoku had approached the court seeking for an order to restrain President Jonathan from running for office in 2015 stating that it will amount to breaching a constitutional provision which prescribed a period of not more than eight years for occupants of the office of the president. Channels Television - Nigeria's Award Winning Television Station Source: channelstv
" The PDP in a press statement signed by Chief Olisa Metuh, the National Publicity Secretary hailed the judiciary over ruling on Jonathan.
"The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the ruling by the FCT High Court that President Goodluck Jonathan is constitutionally free to contest the 2015 Presidential election as yet another victory for the nation’s democracy.PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement yesterday said the judgment has laid to rest debates on whether or not the President is constitutionally eligible to contest the 2015 election adding that it now depends on the party and Nigerians to decide when the time comes.
Stating that the ruling has freed the nation from the shackles of intimidation and harassment by some desperate elements seeking to impose themselves on Nigerians, the party said the judiciary has also restated the freedom and right of every Nigerian to seek for any office under the constitution.“The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) applauds the ruling by the FCT High Court that President Goodluck Jonathan, as a Nigerian, has the constitutionally guaranteed right to seek re-election in 2015.
“This landmark ruling is yet another victory to the nation’s democracy. It has laid to rest the unnecessary debate on whether or not the President is constitutionally eligible to seek re-election in 2015.“The court held that President Jonathan is in his first term, which commenced on the 29th of May, 2011 and thus is free to seek a second term in office in the 2015 general election under the platform of the PDP or any other political party.“The import of this judgment is that it is now left for the PDP as party and Nigerians to decide, through legitimate processes, whether or not to return President Jonathan to the Presidency in 2015 if he indicates interest.“With the ruling, it is now left for the President, the PDP and the people to decide and not for some people to try to stop others from exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights through intimidations and harassment”, the party said.
The PDP urged Nigerians to continue to be law abiding and resist all attempts by desperate politicians to truncate the system through the distortion of the facts of the law.It said however assured that it will continue to focus on the welfare of Nigerians in line with the Transformation Agenda of the President Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP administration."
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