A Nigerian medical practitioner based in the United States, Dr Adah Obekpa has taken legal action to delay the inauguration of president-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, scheduled for May 29, 2023.
Dr Obekpa argued that his alleged unlawful exclusion from the 2011 General Elections should be resolved before Tinubu's inauguration, citing the Amaechi vs Omehia case.
The defendants in the original suit are the INEC, the National Assembly, and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the time, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.
Dr Obekpa filed a motion before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, arguing that his case of alleged unlawful exclusion from the 2011 General Elections should be resolved before Tinubu's inauguration, Daily Independent reported.
Dr Adah Obekpa, a Nigerian medical practitioner residing in the US, has filed a legal case seeking to delay Tinubu's inauguration. Photo credit: @DeeOneAyekooto Source: Twitter
He claimed that he was unjustly barred from participating as the potential presidential candidate of the African Renaissance Party (ARP).
Drawing from the Amaechi vs Omehia case, Dr Obekpa emphasised the importance of determining the circumstances surrounding his alleged unlawful exclusion.
The defendants in the original suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Assembly, and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the time, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.
“The determination of the circumstances surrounding my unlawful exclusion by the Court should take pre-eminence over any other consideration in the eyes of the law,” Dr Obekpa said.
The timing and impact of this legal action on the May 29 inauguration remain uncertain. However, if the Supreme Court decides to intervene, it could potentially delay the swearing-in and have significant repercussions on Nigeria's political landscape.
Both domestic and international observers are closely following these developments as they unfold, marking an important moment in Nigeria's democratic journey.
Meanwhile, Barrister A.D. Rotimi George Esq has explained why Tinubu and his vice will be sworn in on May 29 despite court cases.
According to the Legit report on Saturday, May 20, Barrister A.D. Rotimi George Esq., a member of the National Executive Council of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), said: "Tinubu, having been declared as the winner of the February 25, 2023, presidential election ought to be sworn in as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Nature, they say, harbours a Vacuum. PMB Tenure expires by the 29th of May, 2023. If Tinubu is not inaugurated as President, the country will be left without a leader which ought not to be."
