Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice-presidential candidate of the
Labour Party (LP), says Bola Tinubu did not meet the constitutional
requirements to become Nigeria’s president.
Speaking on Wednesday in an interview on Channels
Television, Baba-Ahmed said Tinubu failed to fulfill the requirements
stipulated in the section of the 1999 constitution (as amended) for election to
the office of the president.
On March 1, the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) declared Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.
Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), scored 8,794,726 votes and secured the 25 percent threshold of total
votes in 30 states of the federation but failed to have the threshold in votes
cast in the federal capital territory (FCT).
Section 134 (2) of the 1999 constitution says: “A candidate
for an election to the office of President shall be deemed to have been duly
elected where, there being more than two candidates for the election: (a) he
has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and (b) he has not less
than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least
two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja.
The declaration of Tinubu as the President-elect despite not
getting 25 percent of the votes cast in FCT has continued to generate debates.
Speaking on the development,
Baba-Ahmed said swearing in Tinubu as president is “ending democracy”
and a clear violation of the 1999 constitution.
He asked Olukayode Ariwoola, the chief justice of Nigeria
(CJN), not to participate in the swearing-in of Tinubu as president over what
he described as a “violation” of the constitution.
“Section 134 stipulates who should be declared and issued a
certificate of return. It is only that candidate that has scored the highest
number of votes and at least 25 percent each in at least two-thirds of the
states of the federation and the FCT,” he said.
“Now, it is very clear that Tinubu does not have 25 percent
in the FCT, we denied him. We got 61 percent. Atiku does not have 25 percent in
the FCT. We denied both of them.
“By clear and unambiguous provisions of the Nigerian
constitution, which must not be breached, Tinubu has not satisfied the
requirement to be declared President-elect. Accordingly, there is no
President-elect for Nigeria now. Because the declared one violates the
constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and I know what I’m saying.
“Swearing in a ticket
that has not met the constitutional requirement is ending democracy. That is
indeed the correct interpretation. You cannot swear in people who have not met
the constitutional requirement. if you do it, you have done something unlawful
and unconstitutional.
“Mr President, do not hold that inauguration. CJN, your
lordship, do not participate in unconstitutionality. It is extreme and I’m
saying it. It was more extreme for Yakubu to issue that certificate. It was
reckless.”
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Yusuf deliberately refused to wake up from total knock out he and obi received on 25th of February 2023 . I pray he wakes up from his self imposed coma and delirium after May 31st 2023
ReplyDeleteDatti could have waited since the matter is in the court, before all these authorancies. To avoid hard I know
ReplyDelete