In a recent judgment passed by the Supreme Court, the apex court accused the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of cyberbullying and disseminating fake information on social media platforms. The case was an appeal filed by the PDP, seeking to nullify the election of President-elect Bola Tinubu, alleging that his running mate, Kashim Shettima, was guilty of double nomination.
However, the Supreme Court rejected the appeal and ruled that the PDP could not institute the suit as the party had no locus standi. Justice Inyang Okoro, one of the five judges of the apex court who delivered the judgment, expressed concern over the PDP’s attempt to mislead the public through social media.
According to Justice Okoro, the appellant misled the Supreme Court by claiming that the lower court found evidence of double nomination. Upon examining the records, the judge stated that no such evidence was found. He also stressed that the PDP had resorted to exploiting social media to spread disinformation and bully justices of the Supreme Court.
Justice Okoro also noted that Shettima had withdrawn from the nomination for Borno central district on July 6, 2022, and that the political party had sent a notice of withdrawal to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the same day. The party also sent a notification of dates for the conduct of fresh primaries for the senatorial district on July 10, 2022. Therefore, he ruled out the possibility of double nomination on July 14, 2022.
The Supreme Court judge condemned the PDP’s unprofessional behavior and stated that the appeal was dismissed for lack of merit. He also supported the lead judgment’s decision on awarding a cost.
In summary, the Supreme Court accused the PDP of cyberbullying and spreading disinformation through social media platforms. The apex court dismissed the appeal, ruling that the PDP lacked the legal standing to institute the suit. The judgment also clarified that Shettima had withdrawn his nomination, and there was no evidence of double nomination, as claimed by the PDP.
