An Abuja High Court presided by Justice Adeniyi Ademola on Wednesday struck out two suits challenging the eligibility of the president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to contest the presidential election on March 28, 2015.
The suits were struck out after the plaintiffs expressed their intentions to withdraw the suits.
The lawyer to the the plaintiffs, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), informed the court that he had advised his clients to withdraw the suit so as not to distract the President-elect in his new assignment.
When the second case which was filed by Max Ozoaka was called, his lawyer, Dr. Chike Amobi, also adduced similar grounds for withdrawing the suit.
The plaintiffs had filed the suits challenging Buhari’s eligibility, asking the court to declare him ineligible to contest in the election on the basis of his alleged failure to submit his certificates of academic qualifications along with his Form CF001 to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The plaintiffs claimed that Buhari’s failure to submit his certificates of academic qualifications contravened the provisions of sections 131 and 318 of the 1999 Constitution and section 31(3) of the Electoral Act, 2010.
Apart from the two suits struck out, there are still about nine other suits on the same allegations.
At the resumed hearing, counsel to the plaintiffs, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, brought an application for withdrawal of the suit.
Counsel to the All Progressive Congress APC, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, did not object to the application.
In a short ruling, the trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, struck out the suits.
