In a recent development, the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a lawsuit filed by five residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who attempted to halt the inauguration of Bola Tinubu as the President of Nigeria.
The presiding judge, Inyang Ekwo, ruled on Tuesday and ordered the lawyer representing the five residents to pay a hefty sum of N10 million each to the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
The plaintiffs, namely Anyaegbunam Okoye, David Adzer, Jeffrey Ucheh Osang Paul, and Chibuike Nwanchukwu had contended that Bola Tinubu had failed to secure a minimum of 25 percent of the votes cast in the FCT during the elections. The suit, which bore the reference number FHC/ABJ/CS/578/2023, was officially filed on April 28.
Acting on their own behalf as well as on behalf of other residents and registered voters in the FCT, the plaintiffs urged the court to examine the constitutionality of whether a presidential candidate, in order to assume the presidency and become the administrator of the FCT through the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority, must obtain at least 25 percent of the votes cast in the FCT, as stipulated in section 134(2)(b) of the Constitution.
Additionally, the plaintiffs sought a declaration to extend the tenure of former President Buhari. They further requested the court to nullify the certificate of return issued to Bola Tinubu and restrain the CJN and any other judicial officer from swearing him in as the President.
However, in his ruling today, Justice Inyang Ekwo declared that the plaintiffs lacked the necessary locus standi, or legal standing, to file the lawsuit. He emphasized that such matters should be directed to the presidential election petition tribunal and not to the Federal High Court.
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