Politics
Ex-Presidential Candidate Threatens Tinubu with Parallel National Government
Bola Tinubu
The Hope Democratic Party (HDP) and its presidential candidate in the 2019 general election, Ambrose Albert Owuru have threatened to constitute a parallel national government if the judiciary continues to allow itself to be used as an agent of impunity.
The HDP and Owuru have therefore called on the Supreme Court to expedite action in the hearing of their pending appeal and motions before the court.
According to HDP, by the doctrine of Lis Pendens, its adjudged winner of the 2019 presidential election, ought to rule before the turn of President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued to newsmen in Abuja, National Coordinator of the Defenders of Africa’s Democracy and Hope in Africa, Alhaji Anwal Ibrahim, the party castigated the courts for allegedly supporting impunity.
“There is need that the rule of law be followed by parties who have submitted to court’s jurisdiction in matters of political power tussle that require the observance of the entrenched doctrine of Lis pendens and that the first in time in order of mandate is allowed and given the chance to serve his adjudged mandate to serve his constitutional term of office.
“It has now come to light that the courts in Nigeria are being used as cover to intimidate and perpetuate a culture of impunity of mandate grabbing and usurpation as now prevalent and common with the ruling APC presidential candidate.
“We are aware that by the operation of the law that the outstanding unserved adjudged constitutional mandate of Chief Ambrose Albert Owuru of HDP of 2019 presidential election takes precedence over the recent later return of Tinubu at the highly contentious 2023 presidential Election.
“Where the law is that all citizens are equal, allowing any one or group to resort to self help will make the other to do same of resorting to self help and in this case, producing two political parties self helped & proclaimed presidency in Nigeria.
“We urge that the court’s authority concerned takes needed steps to resolve this issues on their merit before it gets messy and out of hand.
“It is our belief that Nigeria’s democratic experiment should represent a shining light in the continent of Africa where elections are won fair and square and the rule of law are upheld and parties in power are not protected to engage in self perpetuation as the APC are doing while cases in court to check such are delayed in court”, the statement read.
Citing the doctrine of Lis Pendens, the presidential candidate in the 2019 general election, Chief Albert Ambrose Owuru is
asking the Apex Court to nullify the inauguration of Tinubu as winner of the 2023 presidential poll.
Owuru, a Constitutional lawyer is contending that the presidential election which produced Tinubu was an exercise in futility and illegal self help in view of his yet to be determined suit against Tinubu and others at the Supreme Court.
The pending Supreme Court suit with No. SC/667/2023 has Chief A.A. Owuru and Hope Democratic Party as Appellants while Respondents are former President Muhammadu Buhari, AGF, INEC, and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Owuru is arguing that Tinubu’s declaration as President by INEC is an affront to the Supreme Court and the established law by reason of lis pendens adding that since Tinubu is a party in the pending suit before the Apex Court, he ought not to have presented himself for inauguration in respect of any presidential poll.
Owuru contested the 2019 presidential election on the platform of Hope Democratic Party (HDP) against former President Muhammadu Buhari and claimed to be adjudged winner of the poll as against the declaration of Buhari made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
His suit seeking order of Court to declare him as the adjudged and constitutional winner of the 2019 election and currently pending before the Supreme Court was on May 18 this year, voluntarily joined by Tinubu as an interested party.
In a motion on notice served on Tinubu through the Chambers of Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, the ex-presidential candidate is also praying the Supreme Court for an order restraining the respondents and particularly Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from further operating the Federation Account pending the determination and resolution of the constitutional questions again the 2023 election.
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