A FORMER President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr Olisa Agbakoba says there is no constitutional process to delay the inauguration of former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s President on May 29, 2023.
In a statement, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria said the inauguration of Tinubu is bound to happen under constitutional process despite the petitions against the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and President-Elect at the Tribunal in Abuja.
“It is important to state that the inauguration of Mr Bola Tinubu on 29 May 2023 is bound to happen under our constitutional process,” he said.
“While the election tribunal deals with the petitions there is no constitutional process to delay the inauguration on 29 May. We need to obey the rule of constitutionalism.”
Although the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu as the winner of the February 15 poll but the victory of the APC candidate is being contested in court by the two other leading candidates – Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Obi’s running mate in the election, Datti Baba-Ahmed had asked the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola and President Muhammadu Buhari not to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Tinubu, arguing that the APC candidate did not meet the constitutional provisions of 25% votes in 24 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Baba-Ahmed had since attracted stern criticisms from the government and members of the ruling party.
