A civil society organization under the leadership of the Incorporated Trustees of Advocacy for Societal Rights Advancement and Development Initiative, ASRADI, on Tuesday, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja with a suit seeking to halt the scheduled swearing-in of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on May 29.
It was gathered that the group filed a motion ex-parte alongside the suit, citing urgency and requesting the court’s prompt intervention due to the upcoming swearing-in ceremony.
Additionally, ASRADI sought permission from the court to apply for an order of mandamus, compelling the Inspector General of Police to investigate Tinubu for perjury and recommend him for prosecution if found guilty.
ASRADI claimed that Tinubu committed perjury by failing to disclose his dual citizenship in Form EC9 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as part of his qualification to contest the presidential election held on February 25.
READ MORE: Guinean Govt. Implicated Tinubu By Admitting They Issued Him Diplomatic Passport — Atiku’s Camp
The organization became aware of the alleged perjury through an online publication on April 16, 2023.
Besides, the plaintiff further sought the permission of the court to apply for an order of mandamus to compel the Inspector General of Police, IGP, to investigate and recommend Tinubu for prosecution if found guilty of perjury regarding his Guinean citizenship.
ASRADI told the court that the President-elect lied on oath when he refused to give information about his Guinean citizenship in the Form EC9 he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in aide of his qualification to contest the presidential election that was held on February 25.
“The non-disclosure by Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the INEC Form EC9 of the dual citizenship of his voluntary acquisition of the citizenship of Guinea amounts to Perjury, ” it averred in an affidavit that was attached in support of the suit.
The group averred that it “only became aware of the perjury committed by Bola Ahmed Tinubu on April 16, 2023”, from an online publication, adding that police failed to act on its request for the matter to be investigated, hence its decision to seek the intervention of the court.
Among proof of evidence, the plaintiff attached to the suit included its letter to the IGP, dated May 8 and signed by its Executive Director, Mr Adeolu Oyinlola.
Consequently, ASRADI, through its lawyer, Mr Chukwunweike Okafor, is among other things, praying the court for; “A declaration that by virtue of the provisions of Section 215(1)(a) and 2 of the Constitution and Sections 31 and 32 of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, the respondent is under both constitutional and statutory obligation to investigate Tinubu for the offence of perjury contained in the INEC Form EC9 sworn to by him on June 14, 2022, regarding his Guinean citizenship”.
As well as, “An order of mandamus compelling the respondent to investigate the fillings made by Bola Ahmed Tinubu in respect of his Guinean citizenship contained in INEC Form EC9 sworn to by him on June 14, 2022, and where he is found culpable of the offence of perjury, refer him to the Attorney General of the Federation for prosecution”.
It further sought an order to “compel the respondent to investigate and prosecute Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the offence of perjury before May 29, 2023 which is the date of the swearing -in of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”
In the affidavit of urgency that was deposed by Oyinlola, the plaintiff said its ex-parte motion “should be heard and determined before the swearing -in of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on May 29, 2023”.
