May 29: Court Dismisses Fresh Suit Seeking To Stop Tinubu’s Inauguration

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, dismissed a suit filed by three applicants, seeking to stop the swearing-in of Bola Tinubu as the fifth Nigeria’s democratic president on May 29 for being frivolous and an abuse of court process.

Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling, said the applicants, who were neither candidates nor members of a political party in the election that produced Tinubu as president-elect, lacked the locus standi (legal right) to institute the matter.

Justice Omotosho further held that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter being a post-election matter which ought to have been filed at the Appeal Court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that three applicants; Praise Ilemona Isaiah, Pastor Paul Isaac Audu and Dr Anongu Moses had filed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/657/2023.

In the suit, the president, Tinubu, All Progressives Congress (APC), the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Director-General, the Department of State Services (DSS) were named as defendants.

Others are the Inspector-General of Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st to 7th defendants respectively.

In the motion dated May 18 and filed May 22, the applicants sought an order of interim injunction restraining the 2nd defendant (Tinubu) from being sworn in as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

In a 10-ground argument attached to the motion, the applicants said the APC candidate contested the last presidential election and was declared to have won the poll by INEC (7th defendant).

They said though Tinubu was billed to be sworn in as president on May, 29, they had uncovered that Tinubu, contrary to the affidavit he deposed to in INEC’s Form EC9, besides being a Nigerian, was also a citizen of Guinea Republic, thereby committing the offence of perjury, among others.