Qualification, disqualification of candidates are pre-election matter – Tribunal

The Presidential Petition Election Tribunal’s five-member panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani ruled on Wednesday that the Allied Peoples Movement’s appeal contesting the qualification of Vice President Kashim Shettima constituted a pre-election affair.

Tsammani said in his decision that the topic should have been contested before the presidential election.

He stated:

“The issue of qualification or disqualification is a constitutional one. The issue of disqualification or qualification is a pre-election matter.

“It must be determined before the conduct of the election. This court has no jurisdiction to hear the matter and even if it does it is status-barred because it is a pre-election matter.”

cc: Punch Ng