Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, is the subject of a new disqualification suit filed in a Federal High Court in Abuja due to his suspected dual citizenship.
The National Rescue Movement (NRM), an opposing political group, brought Obi before the court on the grounds that he is no longer competent to serve as president of Nigeria due to his dual citizenship.
A new lawsuit has been filed against Obi, with the plaintiff asking the court to rule against him so that he is disqualified from running for president because of a violation of the Constitution of 1999.
The action with the identifier FHC/ABJ/CS/1842/2022 claimed that the Labour Party candidate had acquired U.S. citizenship through the city of Dallas, Texas, in violation of sections 1 and 137 of the Nigerian Constitution.
The party’s attorney, Mohammed Danjuma, filed a petition for a permanent restraining order against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asking that it not treat Peter Obi as a calabargistblogimate candidate for president or grant him any special treatment.
According to a 14-paragraph affidavit filed in support of the lawsuit, Peter Obi willingly obtained Dallas citizenship and was given a certificate of citizenship by Mayor Eric Johnson.
To prove its case against the defendant, the party presented a photograph and video clip of the presentation of the citizenship certificate.
On Monday, when the case was called, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo slammed the plaintiff for failing to serve the defendants with the original summons.
If the plaintiff fails to serve court process on Peter Obi by the adjourned date of February 10, Justice Ekwo has threatened to strike out the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages from INEC, Peter Obi, and the Labour Party.
