Femi Falana, a prominent human rights attorney and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stated his lack of astonishment at the Supreme Court’s decision, which opened the door for Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to be inaugurated as president on May 29.
Falana gave an exclusive interview to Vanguard on Saturday and discussed his thoughts on the subject.
A recent appeal by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) disputing Tinubu’s ability to run in the February 25 presidential election was just dismissed by the Supreme Court. The appeal was determined by the court to be without merit and to have been filed in bad faith.
The PDP’s appeal was based on allegations that the Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, had been nominated for more than one constituency, which they argued should invalidate Tinubu’s candidacy.
However, Falana noted that he was not surprised by the Supreme Court’s decision, as the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal had already dismissed the same action.
Falana emphasized that under the current electoral regime, all candidates cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and issued a Certificate of Return are legally entitled to be sworn in on May 29.
He also highlighted the timeline for petition resolution and appeals, stating that they should be determined within 180 days and 60 days, respectively.
Regarding the public discourse surrounding the Supreme Court judgment, Falana expressed his confusion, as all governors and legislators elected across different political parties are scheduled to be inaugurated on May 29.
He underscored that the Federal High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court have consistently maintained that only members of a political party can challenge the conduct of primary elections within their party.
Looking ahead, Falana urged the media to scrutinize Tinubu’s manifesto and hold him accountable for its implementation.
He emphasized that it is the responsibility of the media to assess each item in the manifesto and evaluate whether Tinubu fulfils his promises.