Abuja — As the ruling Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) presidential screening panel screens the presidential aspirants today, national chairman of the party, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo has charged the panel to disqualify any aspirant whose candidature will be subject of litigation.

Nwodo gave this charge yesterday, while inaugurating the Ambassador Aminu Wali- chaired 10-member panel at the party's national secretariat.

His words; "We don't want to present a presidential candidate that our opponents in the general election will go to court and stop us. If you keep strictly to the party guidelines and the provisions of the 1999 constitution, you will produce a candidate that will not be disqualified."

Nwodo told the panelists to be very diligent and careful in the discharge of their duty, stressing that the party is going into the general election with confidence. "In PDP internal democracy has come to stay. We may not get it 100 per cent, but we have got over 80 per cent. We are hoping that the primaries will be hitch-free", Nwodo said.

The presidential aspirants on the platform of the party, facing the panel today are President Goodluck Jonathan, former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, Mrs Sarah Jibril and Alhaji Aminu Dutsen-ma.

The national chairman told the panel that the party intends presenting its first eleven in the forthcoming general elections and assured the aspirants that if any of them is disqualified, that the Presidential Screening Appeal Panel would hear their complaints.

In his response, the chairman of the panel, Ambassador Aminu Wali said that the members of the panel are committed to justice and fairness to all the aspirants.

"We are not here for any individual or aspirant. We are here for the PDP. National chairman, you can be sure that we will do our best as justice and fairness will be our watchword", the screening panel chairman assured.

Meanwhile, some founding fathers of the people Democratic Party (PDP) have requested the party presidential screening committee to disqualify, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, one of the presidential aspirants, from participating in the primaries fixed for Thursday.

President Goodluck Jonathan and the vice president are expected to appear before the screening committee today.

In the petition addressed to the chairman of the presidental screening committee dated January 10, 2011, the petitioners averred that Alhaji Abubakar "lacks the qualities required by the party's rules and policy plat forms in order to win general election".

According to the petitioners, "the rules and constitution of the party, particularly the desirable qualities of candidates posits moral values that the would-be candidate of the PDP must possess. Chief among these qualities is absence of serious allegations of corruption."

The founders cut across the six geo-political zones namely: Ambassador Ibrahim Bala (North West) Chief Dare Adeleke (South-West), Hon. Abdullahi Rabili (North-East), Evangelist Uchenna Ragia (South-East) and Prince Eka Williams (South-South).

The petitioners said that the former vice-president carries serious legal and ethical burdens arising from his indictments by the US Senate which the opposition would exploit during the general election.

Making reference to "Alhaji Abubakar's unsuitability" to be the party presidential candidate, the petitioners claimed that the US senate had accused him of money laundering running into $40 million.

"The allegation arose from extensive investigation by the U.S security services on the financial transactions of Atiku Abubakar while he was the vice-president," they stated.

The PDP founding members said that the implication of the US comprehensive report on Abubakar is that the former vice-president "is generally perceived internationally as a corrupt Foreign Official."

Meanwhile, an Abuja High Court yesterday dismissed three suits instituted by some members of the PDP to disqualify Jonathan and Atiku from contesting in the party's primary election billed to take place January 13, 2011.

In dismissing the suit filed by Aliyu Sadiq Jada, against the PDP, its national chairman, Chief Okwesileze Nwodo and Alh. Atiku Abubakar, seeking to declare that the waiver granted to the former vice-president was illegal, Justice Ishaq Bello observed that the plaintiff does not have any locus (legal standing) to institute the action in the first place.

The court in throwing out the suit, noted that for the fact that the plaintiff is a card carrying member of the PDP does not confer legal right for him to file the suit.

The court noted that the plaintiff did not spell out any loss he stands to suffer should Atiku be allowed to contest the said primary neither did he state how his role would have been intercepted by PDP allowing Atiku to file out for the election.

Consequently, he likened the action of the plaintiff to one who is a meddlesome interloper and a busy-body who has chosen on his own to come to court for personal reasons.

Besides, he observed that the plaintiff did not show sufficient interest he has in the suit more than any other member of PDP to warrant or confer on him a right to a cause of action.

In the same way, the court dismissed another suit filed by Ambassador Yahaya Kwande, Hon. Dubem Onyia and Alh. Lawal Kaita seeking to stop President Jonathan from contesting the primaries or the 2011 presidential election on the ground that PDP has a zoning arrangement which does not support the president to vie for the exalted position in this year's presidential poll.

Meanwhile, Justice Bello stated that the suit seeking to stop Jonathan from contesting the said poll is different from an earlier suit filed by Alhaji Sani Aminu Dutsinma also seeking to stop Jonathan on the basis of zoning, pointing out that the plaintiffs in both suits have different characteristics.

Buttressing his point, Justice Bello said that while the Alh. Aliyu Sadiq Jada is only a card carrying member of PDP, Ambassador Yahaya Kwande, Hon. Dubem Onyia, and Alh. Lawal Kaita are contesting for various party positions of PDP.

In his judgment, the Judge noted that Article 7 (2) (c) of the PDP constitution provides for zoning of party organs and that it is mandatory for the party to observe and adhere to the provisions of the above Article of the party.

Also in a related case where Alh. Bala Takaya and Sen. Abdullahi Kirim are asking the court to disqualify Atiku on the grounds of alleged monumental corruption and money laundering was dismissed. Under Article 21 of the PDP constitution, any of its member that do anything which can bring the party to disrepute can be disciplined

In dismissing the suit, the court held that there was no cause of action adding that "I hold the view that the entire suit is premature, no cause of action has arisen by the time the case was filed as the presidential primary is yet to be held.

"Both motion on notice and substantive suit are hereby dismissed as they are premature and constitute an abuse of court process".