News - Politics - January 30, 2023

Court Throws Out Suit Seeking to Sack Buhari

Lois Agada January 30, 2023

3 min read

A suit seeking to sack President Muhammadu Buhari from office has been dismissed by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, today. The suit was initiated by a former presidential candidate of Hope Democratic Party (HDP), Chief Ambrose Owuru, against the 2019 election of President, Muhammadu Buhari.

Why was the suit thrown out?

The suit was thrown out by the presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo for three reasons. First, the judge noted that the suit abused the court process grossly. Second, the suit was statute barred and lastly, it confronted the supremacy of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Justice Inyang further held that the court case was baseless and frivolous.

What influenced the suit?

Owuru who named the President and the Independent National Electoral Commission in the suit asked the Federal High Court to declare him the winner of the poll. The British-trained constitutional lawyer also requested 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.

His argument was that INEC acted against the constitution in illegal and unlawful ways. Such as the postponement of the presidential poll, and the declaration of Muhammadu Buhari as the winner.

He further prayed to the court to remove Buhari and declare him (Owuru) the authentic President. Owuru asked that Buhari be compelled to refund all monies he received as salaries, emoluments and security votes.

The HDP presidential candidate also demanded that the court install him for a four-year tenure of office upon the removal of Buhari from office. The learned professional asked that the Federal High Court should stop INEC from conducting the 2023 presidential election.

Maintaining that Buhari usurped his tenure, the plaintiff prayed that the court should compel President to refund all monies he collected as salaries, emoluments and security votes during his tenure.

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