US-based Nigerian doctor files fresh suit to delay Tinubu's Inauguration, drags ex-President Jonathan to court

Dr Adah Obekpa, a Nigerian medical practitioner based in the United States, has taken legal action to delay the inauguration of president-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, scheduled for May 29, 2023.

Dr Obekpa filed a motion before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, arguing that his case of alleged unlawful exclusion from the 2011 General Elections should be resolved before Tinubu's inauguration, Daily Independent reported.

He claimed that he was unjustly barred from participating as the potential presidential candidate of the African Renaissance Party (ARP).

Drawing from the Amaechi vs Omehia case, Dr Obekpa emphasised the importance of determining the circumstances surrounding his alleged unlawful exclusion.

The defendants in the original suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Assembly, and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the time, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

“The determination of the circumstances surrounding my unlawful exclusion by the Court should take pre-eminence over any other consideration in the eyes of the law,” Dr Obekpa said.

The timing and impact of this legal action on the May 29 inauguration remain uncertain. However, if the Supreme Court decides to intervene, it could potentially delay the swearing-in and have significant repercussions on Nigeria's political landscape.

Both domestic and international observers are closely following these developments as they unfold, marking an important moment in Nigeria's democratic journey.