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BREAKING NEWS: Court dismisses 25 per cent cases against Tinubu, fines lawyer N20m
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to stop the swearing-in of President Bola Tinubu. The court also fined the lawyer who filed the suit N20 million.
The suit was filed by five residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who argued that Tinubu did not secure at least 25% of the votes cast in the FCT in the February 25 presidential election. They, therefore, asked the court to restrain the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) from swearing in Tinubu.
In his judgment seen by Daily Post, Justice Inyang Ekwo said the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to institute the case. He also said the case was an attempt to circumvent the ongoing proceedings of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
Justice Ekwo also condemned the lawyer who filed the suit, Chuks Nwachukwu, for making “unprofessional” comments in the media. He ordered Nwachukwu to pay N10 million each to the AGF and the CJN.
Nwachukwu had accused Justice Ekwo of shying away from delivering judgment in the case. He had also threatened to sue the judge up to the Supreme Court.
However, Justice Ekwo said he could not hear the matter on May 26 because he was on official duty.
The dismissal of the case is a major victory for Tinubu and his supporters. It is also a setback for those who were hoping to challenge his victory in court.
In other news, a hearing in the petition by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar against the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was abruptly adjourned on Tuesday by the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja due to the alleged refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to make some critical electoral materials available to him.
The Court shifted further hearing in the petition till June 7 pending the time the electoral body is expected to have responded to the request of Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the supply of some documents.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Eyitayo Jegede, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, who conducted proceedings for Atiku had sought to tender forms EC8A from 10 out of 21 Local Government Areas of Kogi State to establish the petition against Tinubu.
The exhibits, mainly documents used for the February 25 Presidential Election, are those from Ankpa, Dekina, Idah, Ofu, Olamaboro, Yagba East, Yagba West, Kabba-Bunu and Igalamela Odolu.
Although the schedule of documents to the effect was filed along with the exhibits, the Court, however, noted that tendering such sensitive exhibits at piece meals would not be of any help, especially in the areas of marking and numbering them.