The Court of Appeal in Abuja has denied a suit by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking the disqualification of Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, and his deputy, Kassim Shettima, in the 25 February election.

In a unanimous decision, a three-member panel chaired by Judge James Abundaga concluded that the PDP had failed to prove that it had a legal basis (locus standi) to bring the action.

According to reports, the PDP asked the appeal court to overturn the judgment issued on January 13 by Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja, which dismissed its suit on the grounds that the PDP lacked the legal basis to have instituted it.

The appeal was filed under the number CA/ABJ/CV/108/2023.

In the suit, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu and Shettima, and the PDP were the appellants.

The Tinubu/Shettima presidential ticket was challenged by the PDP in a lawsuit that was filed on July 28, 2022.

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It claimed that Mr. Shettima had received two nominations and that his selection as the running mate violated Sections 29(1), 33, 35, and 84(1)(2) of the Electoral Act of 2022 (as amended).

It said that Mr. Shettima had neither resigned nor withdrawn his nomination as a candidate for the Borno Central senatorial election as of the moment he was selected as a vice presidential candidate.

The party claimed that Mr. Shettima had broken the law by being nominated as both a vice presidential candidate and a senatorial candidate for Borno Central.

In addition to asking the court to disqualify the APC, Mr. Tinubu, and Mr. Shettima from running in the presidential election slated for February 25, the PDP also requested the court to invalidate their respective candidacies.

Moreover, it requested that the appeal court issue an order directing INEC to strike their names from its list of nominated or supported candidates who are qualified to run for office.

The defendants asked the court to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction in their preliminary objection.

Seven board members for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses (ICPC) have been sworn in by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The swearing-in took place on Wednesday at the State House in Abuja just before the start of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.

Retired Judge Adamu Bello (Katsina), Hannatu Mohammed (Jigwa), Olubukola Balogun (Lagos), Obiora Samuel Igwedibia (Anambra), Abdullahi Saidu (Niger), Yahaya Umar Dauda (Nasarawa), and Grace Chinyere are among the reappointed ICPC board members that the President swore in (Rivers).

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This is the first FEC meeting after the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, which saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, emerge as the victorious candidate.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff to the President Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, and National Security Advisor Babagana Monguno are all physically present at the meeting (Rtd).

Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, Ministers of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, Labor and Employment Minister Chris Ngige, Ministers of Agriculture Mahmood Mohammed, Minister of the Environment Mohammed Abdullahi, Minister of Power Abubakar Aliyu, Ministers of Finance, Budget, and National Planning Zainab Ahmed, Ministers of Water Resources Suleiman Adamu, Ministers of Science and Technology Ogbonnaya Onu, and Minister of State for Health Olorun

The 2023 national census will not take place on March 29 as originally planned, according to a statement from the federal government.

Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture, stated this at the Federal Executive Council meeting under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The census, which was originally planned to take place on March 29, will now take place in May.

According to Lai Mohammed, the decision to move the census was required by the decision to move the governor and state assembly elections to March 18.

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The minister also revealed that the cabinet had allocated N2.8 billion to buy software for the National Population Commission (NPC) to utilize in conducting the census.

“There was a memo presented by the National Population Commission, seeking some software to allow them to conduct the census in May this year. I believe because of the rescheduling of the elections, they cannot commence the census as scheduled.

“They sought Council’s approval for a contract to procure software for the census at the sum of N2.8 billion,” he said.

This is the first population count to be held in 17 years.