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2015: Jonathan can contest, says PDP

Category: Lead stories Written by John Chuks Azu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has filed an application in an Abuja Federal High Court seeking to join as a party in the suit filed by a Port Harcourt based lawyer challenging President Goodluck Jonathan’s eligibility for the 2015 presidential election.
Henry Amadi, who is also a member of the party, had contended that the president is not eligible to contest for re-election on the grounds that by so doing, he would be spending more than the maximum period of two terms of four years envisaged by the 1999 Constitution.
The legal practitioner had joined Jonathan and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the 1st and 2nd defendants respectively in the suit.
The application for joinder, which was filed yesterday by the PDP National Legal Adviser, Mr Kwon Victor, also asked the court to make consequential order directing the plaintiff to amend his originating processes to reflect PDP as a defendant and cause same to be served on the PDP.
In the affidavits in support of the application, Kwon argued that from the reliefs sought by Amadi in this suit, PDP’s right to sponsor Jonathan for the office of the President in the 2015 presidential elections is being challenged.
The Kwon contended further that the suit questioned the right of the party to sponsor Jonathan, who is one of its members, for the 2015 presidential elections.
“Having been sponsored by the applicant (PDP) for the 2011 election and Jonathan being a member of the PDP who is capable of being sponsored for the 2015 presidential election, the PDP will directly be affected by the outcome of the decision of this court one way or the other,” he averred.
Following the objection to the application by counsel to Amadi, C.N Eke, Justice Adamu Bello fixed February 26 to hear the PDP’s application.
In his response filed earlier, Jonathan had argued that contrary to the provision of the 1999 Constitution, an incumbent president’s tenure of office can extend beyond four or eight years.
A similar action brought in May, 2012 by another PDP member, Mr Cyriacus Njoku before an Abuja High Court which seeks to stop Jonathan from contesting the 2015 elections, was on October 18 adjourned indefinitely for judgement by Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi.

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