Presidential Tribunal: ‘Tinubu Can Be Sacked After May 29’
The legal team of the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic party, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to the forthcoming swearing-in of President-elect, Bola Tinubu after the sitting of the Presidential Election Petitions Court on Tuesday in Abuja.
Atiku’s lawyer, Chris Uche SAN, in a statement, urged supporters of the PDP candidate not to lose sleep over the May 29 inauguration ceremony of the President-elect Bola Tinubu whose electoral victory is being challenged in court.
“People are asking about May 29. We want to assure people that swearing-in (of Tinubu) is a ceremony that does not tie the hands of the court,” Uche said.
He added that an election can be overturned by the court regardless of whether or not a previously declared winner has been sworn in.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the tribunal ordered petitioners to start calling their witnesses from May 30.
The PEPT equally consolidated all petitions before it into one, having established that they are all disputing the outcome of the 2023 poll.
Uche expressed satisfaction with the consolidation of all petitions of PDP, Labour party and Allied Peoples Movement and the three weeks the court gave them to prove their case.
He said the decision of the court is targeted at fast tracking the case.
“We are very happy that pre-hearing session has been speedily concluded and we are going into proper hearing,” he said.
Lawyers to the Independent National Electoral Commission and Tinubu refused to speak to the press after the Tribunal gave the fresh directive on the petition challenging the election.
I deliberately closed borders — Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the policies taken by his administration were deliberately made for the development of the country.
He stated this on Tuesday at the inauguration of a new Customs Headquarters, built at the cost of N19.6 billion, in Abuja.
Buhari said that such policies became legacy programmes because they later became the delight of the people and the country.
He said the ban on the importation of foreign rice, for instance, was one such policy.
“I deliberately closed the borders. I said it is either you eat what you grow or you grow what you eat and later Nigerians appreciated it,” he said.
Imo PDP Rep Joins APC
The member representing Orlu/Oru East/Orsu Federal Constituency of Imo State in the House of Representatives, Hon Jerry Alagbaoso, has defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He made his decision known in a letter presented to the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, at a plenary, on Tuesday. Alagbaoso who later read the letter said he defected because he wants to work with Governor, Hope Uzodinma, to take the state to the mainstream of Nigerian politics and “bring more dividends of democracy to the people”.
Gbajabiamila described Alagbaoso’s defection as an “earthquake moment” because of his political stature. Gbajabiamila described Alagbaoso’s defection as an “earthquake moment” because of his political stature. He said that was why he was allowed to read his defection letter by himself instead of the usual practice when the speaker reads the letters submitted by defecting lawmakers.
I’m Not Seeking Re-Election As Senate President- Lawan
Senate President Ahmad Lawan has denied any interest in seeking re-election as the President of the 10th Senate.
Lawan, in a statement in Abuja, said media reports concerning his interest in the top job of the 10th Senate were lies.
He said: “I have read some media reports that I have joined the race for the Presidency of the 10th Senate. Ordinarily, I would not have responded to these reports but when lies are not refuted, they have the tendency to create an illusion of truth.
The truth is that I have never told anyone or held a meeting with anyone that I am running for the Presidency of the 10th Senate. So the public should discountenance the reports.
