A new date has been scheduled by the federal high court in Abuja for the continuation of the lawsuit that aims to prevent Asiwaju Bola Tinubu from being sworn in as president of Nigeria due to the dispute surrounding the 25% of votes cast in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The court ruled on Monday that in order for the case to move forward, the people who brought it must respond to three questions through their attorneys.
Messrs Anyaegbunam Okoye, David Adzer, Jeffery Ucheh, Osang Paul, and Chibuike Nwachukwu, who identified themselves as registered voters in the FCT of Abuja, had reportedly filed the lawsuit, according to an earlier report by MDB.
They are seeking the following reliefs:
A declaration that no state of the country is at the same time the FCT for any propose whatsoever, including, in particular, under section 134 (2) (b) of the Constitution.
A declaration that no candidate in the February 25 presidential election in the country may validly be declared elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without that candidate obtaining at least 25% of the votes cast in the FCT, Abuja.
A declaration that no candidate in the February 25 presidential election may validly be sworn in as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, without such candidate having obtained 25% of the votes case in FCT, Abuja.
A declaration that following the February 25 presidential election and until a successor is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and sworn in, the term of office of his Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, GCON, as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria subsists and endures in accordance with the provisions of section 135 (1) (a) of the Constitution”.
An order setting aside or suspending any declaration and/or issuance of a Certificate of a Return to any candidate in the February 25 presidential election in the country as having been elected, save and except it is judicially determined with finality that such candidate fulfilled the conditions stated in section 134(2) (b) of the Constitution.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) were cited in the matter as 1st and 2nd defendants, respectively.
However, the judge informed the plaintiffs’ attorney, Chuks Nwachukwu, at the hearing on Monday before Justice Inyang Ekwo that the matter has been postponed till May 18 to give him time to obtain specific answers.
The lawyer must inform the court of his locus standi—the legal right to present in court—jurisdiction, and whether or not his case has previously been submitted to the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, according to Justice Ekwo.
