A recent legal attempt to prevent Bola Tinubu from acting as Nigeria’s President following the 2023 election has been rejected by the Supreme Court.
The case, brought by Ambrose Albert Owuru of the Hope Democratic Party, was dismissed as baseless and vexatious.
During proceedings, a lawyer representing Owuru admitted to having limited knowledge of the case due to being briefed shortly before the hearing.
The Supreme Court Justices expressed disbelief and questioned the lawyer’s understanding of legal procedures.
The Attorney General of the Federation criticized the case, highlighting discrepancies in the election dates claimed by Owuru.
Despite the lawyer’s plea for an adjournment, the Court denied it and pressed for more information.
Ultimately, the lawyer withdrew the case after facing intense questioning from the justices.
Justice Okoro dismissed the suit, admonishing the lawyer for engaging in frivolous cases and warned against risking his career in such endeavors.
Owuru, a former presidential candidate, accused Tinubu of unlawfully assuming the presidency despite a pending legal action challenging the 2023 election.
He argued that Tinubu’s inauguration contradicted the doctrine of Lis Pendens, citing a suit against Tinubu and others still pending in the Supreme Court.
Owuru claimed to be the constitutional winner of the 2019 election and sought a court order recognizing him as such, along with restraining Tinubu from accessing the Federation Account until constitutional questions were resolved.
The legal journey began with the Federal High Court dismissing Owuru’s case in January 2023.
The Court of Appeal upheld the dismissal, deeming the suit frivolous and imposing a fine of N40 million on Owuru for abuse of court process.
Despite these setbacks, Owuru persisted in pursuing the case until the recent dismissal by the Supreme Court.
