Legitimacy embatteld President Bola Tinubu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), have been implicated in a potential plan to manipulate the judiciary, according to allegations made by notable Nigerian journalist, David Hundeyin. The claims were aired during an interview on the programme 90 Minutes Africa with host Rudolf Okonkwo.
Hundeyin, a respected investigative journalist, suggested that the APC might be planning to unduly influence the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal’s judgement. The tribunal is currently reviewing a case filed by opposition candidates against the result of the recent election.
The Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, has legally challenged Tinubu’s qualification to run in the 2023 election. Hundeyin noted that the APC has shown little effort in mounting a substantial defense against Obi’s petition. He further insinuated that the ruling party’s approach may involve swaying judges through bribes or intimidation.
“Their complete strategy appears to hinge on manipulating the judiciary,” Hundeyin claimed during the interview. He further speculated that while Obi’s legal fight to reclaim the perceived stolen mandate is justified, the unpredictability of the judiciary could result in unexpected outcomes.
Hundeyin pointed out, “In Nigeria, anything can happen. The judges might concur with Peter Obi and the Labour Party’s arguments but could still rule against them citing procedural technicalities. We’ve seen it all in Nigeria before.”
Candidates from the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party have contested the legitimacy of the ruling party candidate’s victory in the February 25 presidential election, as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Tribunal is currently deliberating over the case after all parties have made their final submissions.
SOURCE: NaijaNews
IMAGE: Parallel Facts
