President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is facing a legal showdown at the Supreme Court, accused of unlawfully inaugurating himself as President amid ongoing legal challenges to the 2023 presidential poll.
Chief Albert Ambrose Owuru, a presidential candidate in the 2019 general election, has invoked the doctrine of Lis Pendens, urging the Apex Court to invalidate Tinubu’s inauguration.
Owuru, a Constitutional lawyer, argues that Tinubu’s election was futile and amounted to illegal self-help due to a pending suit against him at the Supreme Court (No. SC/667/2023).
The suit involves Chief A.A. Owuru and the Hope Democratic Party as Appellants, with Respondents including former President Muhammadu Buhari, AGF, INEC, and Tinubu.
Owuru asserts that Tinubu’s recognition as President by INEC challenges the Supreme Court and established law under Lis Pendens.
He contends that, being a party in the ongoing Supreme Court suit, Tinubu should not have assumed the presidency pending the resolution of the case.
The 2019 presidential candidate, who claims to be the constitutional winner of that election, has also filed a fresh motion seeking to restrain Tinubu from operating the Federation Account until the constitutional questions regarding the 2023 election are resolved.
In a statement issued in Abuja with the Hope Africa Foundation, Owuru argues that Tinubu, by voluntarily joining the suit, breached the doctrine of Lis Pendens, making his inauguration liable to dismissal.
The statement emphasizes the need for patience in resolving these legal issues, urging Nigerians to await the outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings to determine the authentic Nigerian President.
Owuru’s legal battle dates back to the 2019 election, where he claimed victory against the declaration of Buhari by INEC.
Despite facing dismissals in lower courts, Owuru remains steadfast in challenging the purported inauguration of Tinubu, asserting that the Supreme Court’s determination of his 2019 petition is crucial before any successor assumes office.
The Court of Appeal had previously refused to halt Tinubu’s May 29 inauguration, citing abuse of court processes by Owuru.
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