Tinubu Perjury Allegation: Court Grants Order of Mandamus against IGP over refusal to prosecute
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday granted permission to a Civil Society Group, Incorporated Trustees of Center for Reform and Public Advocacy, to apply for an order of mandamus that will compel the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to prosecute the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, over alleged perjury.
Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo granted the leave while delivering a ruling in an ex-parte application argued by the group through its lawyer, Ugo Nwofor.
The ex-parte application was filed by the group following the alleged refusal of the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba to effect the arrest and prosecution of the former Lagos State governor on supplying false information on oath in respect of his educational qualifications.
The court, in a ruling, held that the ex-parte application was meritorious and subsequently granted it, fixing November 1, for hearing of the substantive suit.
The main suit, dated and filed on July 4 by the group, has the Nigerian Police Force and the Inspector General of Police as 1st and 2nd respondents, respectfully.
According to the NGO, the legal action against the police was necessitated by the IGP’s refusal to take action on its petition against Tinubu over an offence it claimed the presidential candidate was indicted for by the Lagos State House of Assembly in 1999.
The applicant in its petition to the IG claimed that Tinubu lied on oath in his form CF 001 he submitted to INEC in aid of his qualification for the governorship election in Lagos State in 1999.
The applicant further claimed that Tinubu “forged all the educational certificates he listed in his INEC Form CF 001, which he admitted he did not possess in Annexure C.
“For purpose of clarity, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the said INEC Form deposed to on oath that he attended Government College, Ibadan and the University of Chicago, USA, when in actual fact he did not.
“On the strength of the above, we respectfully demand that you initiate the criminal proceedings of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu consequent upon the express findings of the Lagos State House of Assembly as captured above.”
