Suit seeking Buhari’s removal, election loser’s inauguration fixed for Feb 8

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday fixed February 8, 2022 for hearing in a fresh suit instituted against President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 presidential election.

The fresh suit filed by a former presidential candidate, Chief Ambrose Albert Owuru of Hope Democratic Party (HDP) seeking order of court to declare the presidential seat vacant was put off from being heard due to lack of judicial time.

Though the suit was slated for December 7 for hearing, Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo adjourned it to a new date due to the heavy workload of the court.

The judge while shifting the case to next year for adjudication ordered that fresh hearing notice be issued and served on parties in the matter before the hearing date.

Apart from President Buhari, other defendants in the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/480/2021, are the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as first, second and third defendants respectfully.

Owuru had dragged President Buhari before the court praying it for an order to declare the presidency vacant on the ground that Buhari was not the winner of the February 16, 2019 presidential election.

He is asking the court to declare Buhari as illegally occupying the presidential seat.

The plaintiff, who stood for the 2019 presidential election on the platform of the Hope Democratic Party, wants the court to declare him as the authentic winner of the poll and another order of the court directing his immediate inauguration to take over from Buhari.

In the suit he instituted on June 16. 2021, Owuru claimed that he won the February 16. 2019 Presidential election and that his suit against Buhari at the Supreme Court was inconclusive due to errors on adjourned date.

He sought a declaration by the Federal High Court that he is entitled to serve out a tenure of four years after his formal inauguration.

(New Telegraph)