Court Dismiss Suit Against Buhari’s Removal From Office
Justice Inyang Ekwo has dismissed the suit by a former presidential candidate of Hope Democratic Party, Chief Ambrose Owuru, against the election of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), in the 2019 presidential election.
A Federal High Court dismissed the suit on Monday in Abuja. One of the arguments was that the lawsuit was a flagrant abuse of the legal system, was past its expiration date, and was an insult to the authority of the Nigerian Supreme Court.
The judge also held that the suit was baseless and frivolous.
It would be recalled that Owuru had filed a legal suit against Buhari and the Independent National Electoral Commission, demanding to be declared the winner of the poll.
The legal practitioner has among other reliefs, asked the court to determine the legality or otherwise of the decision by INEC in 2019 during which it postponed the election from February 16 to March 23.
In addition, the HDP presidential candidate urged the Federal High Court to prevent INEC from holding the 2023 presidential election and to order his inauguration for a four-year term following Buhari’s removal from office.
He asserted that INEC violated the constitution in illegal and unlawful methods, shifting the presidential election and that the announcement of Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the illegal conduct should be deemed null and void and of no effect.
He based his argument on the fact that the Supreme Court had not rendered a decision on the petition he filed against Buhari as required by law.
Due to inconsistencies in the hearing dates that were communicated to the former presidential candidate, he alleged that his appeal was unfairly dismissed by the Supreme Court after his absence from the Apex Court.
He, therefore, appealed to the court to remove Buhari and declares him (Owuru) the authentic President and that Buhari should be compelled to refund all monies he collected as salaries, emoluments and security votes.
After Buhari, the AGF, INEC, and the plaintiff adopted final addresses on November 4 2022, Justice Ekwo set January 30 as the judgment day.
