By Law And Convention, Tinubu Will Be Inaugurated On 29th May As ‘INEC-Declared President Of Nigeria’
…CJN should be asked to morally recuse himself from PEPT over public outcries regarding his widely alleged affinity with Tinubu
Intersociety, Onitsha-Nigeria
Monday, 3rd April 2023
Tinubu Will Be Inaugurated On 29th May As “INEC-Declared President Of Nigeria”
It is the unbiased position of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) that by the provisions of the Nigeria’s body of laws including the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 as amended and democratic and limited Government conventions under the UN, AU and ECOWAS Systems, applicable and operable in Nigeria, the INEC-declared ‘President-elect’: Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu will be inaugurated on 29th May 2023 as “INEC-declared President of Nigeria”. Possibility is also high that Nigeria will produce three civilian Presidents in eleven months of 2023; January-May 29 (Buhari/Osinbajo), May 29-Oct/Nov (Ahmed Tinubu) and Oct/Nov and above (Obi or Atiku). Intersociety also does not see the third option arising-which is nullification of the poll by the apex court of the PEPT (Presidential Election Petitions’ Tribunal) and assumption of the interim presidency by the Senate President. This is because with the 2023 Presidential Poll having witnessed massive voting in most of the country’s 176,846 polling units, but brutally rigged in-house across the country especially at Ward, LGA and State Result Collation Centers’ results’ suppression; the main business of the PEPT will be to locate those living votes through polling units’ FormEC8As, etc and originally uploaded results on INEC servers and BVAS and validly determine which party/candidate that scored highest number of legitimate votes and constitutionally required 25% spread in the constitutionally prescribed number of States including the FCT.
Nigerians Must Remain Promoters Of Due Process And Rule Of Law At All Times
Therefore, in spite of revolutionary angers in the minds of most Nigerian lovers of democracy and rule of law, occasioned by the armada of fraud that characterized the 2023 Presidential Poll and others; due process of law must be followed and allowed at all times. Nigerians must also avoid playing into the hands of the out-going Federal Government of Nigeria and its desperate and remorseless agents. This is more so when it is now on indelible record that the outgoing Government of Nigeria has earned an international notoriety in election rigging, bastardization and corruption of democratic process. It must further be noted that the outgoing Government of Nigeria is un-repentant and fiercely fighting to retain its disastrous legacy of leaving Nigeria in the hands of political bandits and banditry. Lovers of democracy and rule of law must therefore avoid resorting to illegalities and illegitimate acts and refrain from joining forces with political buccaneers and other undemocratic forces to unseat the present ‘Socio-Legal System’ in the country and give room for military or militant martial law; an aberration and dangerous threat to democratic principles and a fundamental breach of Section 1 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, to the effect that “the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed nor shall any person or group of persons take control of the Government of Nigeria or any part thereof, except in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”.
By Timing Of PEPT, Tinubu May Be Interloper President Of Nigeria For Six Months
By relevant provisions of the 1999 and the Electoral Act of 2022 as amended, the duration for the proceedings and determination of the Presidential Election Petitions’ Tribunals must not exceed 180 days or six months at the Court of first instance (Court of Appeal) and 60 days or two months at the Court of last instance or Supreme Court; a total period of 240 days or eight months in all. In matters involving Governorship Election Petitions, a total period of ten months or 300 days is provided; 180 days or six months at the Court of first instance (High Court), sixty days or two months at the Court of second instance (Appeal Court) and sixty days or two months at the Court of last instance (Supreme Court). Post Election Court matters involving National Assembly (Senatorial and House of Reps) and State House of Assembly polls take a total period of 180 days or six months at the Tribunal (High Court) and sixty days or two months at the Court of Appeal or Court of final instance. By the above, therefore, Ahmed Bola Tinubu as “INEC-declared President of Nigeria” by 29th May 2023 may most likely stay in office as “Nigeria’s first interloper President since 29th May 1999” for a minimum of five months or 29th May to Oct or a maximum of six months or 29th May to Nov 2023. Nigerians are hereby prayed to brace up for five/six months interloper presidency of Ahmed Bola Tinubu; with associated ups and downs, social traumas and hardships akin to ‘COVID-19 and Cashless Naira’ periods.
Highlighting ‘Genocidal-Igbonization’ And Other Guerilla Tactics Of The Outgoing Nigerian Govt.
We have observed persons, possibly hired Nigerian Government agents protesting at military headquarters-calling for putsch; we have read opinions-calling for interim government to be installed in Nigeria on 29th May 2023; we have read persons especially lawyers including turncoat military era human rights and democracy activists-possibly holding brief for INEC-declared ‘winners’ of the 2023 presidential poll-openly discussing and casting aspersions at petitioners and their matters validly filed at PEPT; we have observed turncoat democracy, human rights and rule of law activists of the military era ferociously engaging in incitement to ethnocide and religocide through “genocidal-Igbonization” in Lagos; we have observed grave partisanship of the country’s security forces including spy and regular police and the military-maintained with taxpayers or public funds belonging to all Nigerians-swiftly responding and carrying out their duties’ regarding phantom claims by APC-led outgoing Nigerian Government; but turned blind eyes when the lives and properties of other citizens such as Easterners in Lagos are at grave risk; we have biased and corrupted intelligence being spread over “interim government”; we have observed the National Broadcasting Commission exhibiting its crudest partisanship in discharge of its public functions and duties maintained with taxpayers or public funds belonging to all Nigerians; we have observed crude adoption of guerilla and propaganda tactics by the outgoing Nigerian Government and its APC political actors-with intents to politicize, pollute and influence the proceedings and outcomes of the PEPT; we have also been observing them making dangerous and street revolutionary friendly efforts at dividing the Justices of the PEPT along ethnic and religious lines; we have seen crudest inflammation of ‘Igbophobia’ in Lagos and other parts of the country by the APC led outgoing Government of Nigeria-whereby independent citizens’ voting and votes are singled out for “genocidal-Igbonization”.
CJN Must Recuse Himself Over Wide Allegations Of His Alleged Affinity With Tinubu
Having carefully followed the above including the recent People’s Gazette and Sahara Reporters’ exclusive reports on CJN’s partisanship and affinity with Ahmed Bola Tinubu (such as alleged recent clandestine meeting of the duo in London to allegedly harm 2023 PEPT) and responses from the CJN’s media handlers and his public defense by APC led outgoing Government of Nigeria, Intersociety is making bold to say that “the CJN-Tinubu factor” is the greatest threat to the 2023 PEPT especially its membership, proceedings and outcomes. We are also not unaware of strong allegations leveled against the CJN over his alleged partisan comments during his recent alleged outings with outgoing Governor Wike of Rivers State over G-5 governors and APC and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State. It is in view of the foregoing that we are calling on lovers and defenders of democracy and rule of law in Nigeria to rise and beg CJN Olukayode Ariwoola to recuse himself from the headship of the PEPT on moral grounds so as to avoid conflict of interest. He must also be prayed to allow the PEPT to dispense justice in the pending cases with forensic and unbiased minds including consideration of the pending cases strictly on the preponderance of evidence and dominant public opinions regarding the shambolic outcome of the 2023 Presidential Poll. The Appellate and Supreme Courts’ membership of the PEPT must also be unbiased and bear true reflection of ethnic and religious balancing.
Signed
For: International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law
Emeka Umeagbalasi (Criminologist)
Board Chair @ Intersociety
Ositadinma Agu
Head, Contacts and Mobilization Department @ Intersociety
Ndidiamaka Chinaza Bernard Esquire
Head, International Justice and Human Rights @ Intersociety
Chika Okechukwu
Head, Democracy, Human Rights and New Media @ Intersociety
Contacts: Phone/WhatsApp: +2348174090052
Email: info@intersociety-ng.org
Website: https://intersociety-ng.org
