Election Tribunal: Onaiyekan condemn swearing in Tinubu before verdict, comes under fire
John Onaiyekan, Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, says it’s unreasonable to swear-in Bola Tinubu, President-elect, before the conclusion of the election petition tribunal.
Cardinal Onaiyekan had recently on a national television Breakfast programme, described the plan to swear-in the president-elect before election cases are decided by the court as inappropriate.
Recall that Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) are contesting the declaration of Tinubu as winner of the February 25 presidential election by INEC.
Onaiyekan says Nigeria’s electioneering system ought to be reviewed as its not right to have a system that is constantly contested.
Meanwhile, some eminent lawyers and stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress have criticised Onaiyekan for faulting the expected May 29 inauguration of President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Legal giants, immediate past Chairman, Body of Benchers (BoB), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Chairman, Council of Legal Education, Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN), Olalekan Ojo (SAN), Festus Keyamo (SAN) and Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, chided the priest for his comment.
The lawyers argued that the suggestion by Cardinal Onaiyekan is a recipe for a logjam, confusion and an illegality.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday reiterated its position that nothing will stop the swearing-in of the president-elect.
