Court adjourns suit challenging Atiku’s eligibility to contest for president

A group is challenging Mr Abubakar’s eligibility on the grounds that he’s not a Nigerian citizen by birth.

News Agency of Nigeria • September 27, 2021

Atiku Abubakar

The Federal High Court, Abuja, Monday adjourned a suit challenging former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s eligibility to vie for president.

Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned the matter until December 6, following the inability of parties to the suit to regularise their amended processes to accommodate the 5th defendant, the Attorney-General of Adamawa, who had been joined in the case.

The Adamawa State Government had on July 27, through its AG, sought an order of the court to be joined in the suit.

The Egalitarian Mission for Africa (EMA), in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/177/2019, is suing Mr Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Attorney General of the Federation as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.

EMA is challenging Mr Abubakar’s eligibility to contest for presidency on the grounds that he was not a Nigerian citizen by birth.

The group is asking the court to hold, among others, that considering the provisions of sections 25(1) &(2) and 131(a) of the constitution and the circumstances surrounding the former Mr Abubakar’s birth, he cannot contest for the top office.

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