Tinubu’s inauguration won’t stop court verdict on my petition, says Atiku

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic on Tuesday, said he was not worried that the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, would be sworn in on May 29, before the conclusion of petitions seeking to nullify his election victory.

The former vice president who is currently challenging the controversial declaration of Mr Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as winner of the presidential election that held on February 25, said he was hopeful that he would reclaim his mandate in court.

The PDP presidential candidate spoke through his lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, shortly after the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja, consolidated his petition with the ones that were filed by candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi and the Allied Peoples Movement, APM.

Mr Atiku maintained that the court, has the powers to sack Tinubu from office, even after the swearing in ceremony.

Noting that full blown hearing on the three merged petitions would commence on May 30, a day after Tinubu’s swearing in as President, Mr Atiku said: “I have been asked about May 29, I want to assure people that swearing in is only a ceremony that does not in any way tie the hands of the court.

“The taking of oath binds the person who takes the oath and not the court

“The court has given you its timelines for parties to present their case. We are happy that with the development, the petitions will be expeditiously determined,” Mr Atiku’s lawyer, Mr Uche, SAN, added.

Kalu Idika

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