By Eze Adiuku
The recent ruling of the apex court on the suit over the purported double nomination of the Vice President elect, Kassim Shettima, has been eliciting reactions from Nigerians.
Reacting on the judgment, a Christian prelate and law student, Bishop Athan Azubuike is of the opinion that Shettima did not contravene the law as he did not fill and submit Form CF001 to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
He said: “It is now settled that by APP Vs Uche Nwosu, Double Nomination means filling and submitting two INEC Form CF001 otherwise called Nomination Form for two offices of same party OR Filling Form CF001 of same position from different political parties. Please if the person has not filled and submitted TWO FORMS CF001 to INEC from different Political parties of same office or two offices of same party, there is no Double Nomination.
“Vice Presidential and Deputy Governorship positions are not offices that emerge from a primaries. It is the prerogative of a Presidential or Governorship Flag bearer. Therefore the right or powers of a Presidential or Governorship candidate right to pick or choose a Running Mate as enshrined by the Constitution, cannot be clogged by the Electoral Act. Put simply, a Presidential or Governorship Candidate has the right to pick a running mate who has won primaries and nominated to be a State House of Assembly Candidate, House of Reps Candidate, Senatorial Candidate or even Governorship Candidate.
“That the process of nominating a Running Mate and replacing his former Senatorial ticket or candidacy is the internal affairs of a political party and should not bother another political party or candidate of a different political party”.
Bishop Azubuike who heads House of God International Church, HOGIC in Owerri, Imo State, averred that “one does not participate in a primaries to become Vice Presidential Candidate or Deputy Governorship Candidate. It is appointive and remains the right of the appointer to appoint whoever he deems qualified”.
