Court orders prosecution of Tinubu over alleged change of name

Court orders prosecution of Tinubu over alleged change of name

A civil rights organisation under the aegis of Incorporated Trustees of Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy has been granted permission by a Federal High Court in Abuja to apply for an order of mandamus that will compel the Inspector General of Police to prosecute the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over alleged perjury.

Delivering judgement in an ex-parte application argued by the lawyer to the group, Ugo Nwofor, Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the leave forthwith.

The organisation had filed the ex-parte application following the alleged refusal of the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba, to arrest and commence prosecution of Tinubu for supplying false information on oath to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) when he contested for the governorship election in 1999.

While presenting his application, Nwofor argued before Justice Ekwo that it’s in line with the rules of Federal High Court to first obtain the permission of the Court before proceeding with a suit seeking an order to compel the police chief to carry out his constitutional duties, The Punch reports.

Justice Ekwo meanwhile, acknowledged the merit of the ex-parte application and subsequently granted it in a brief ruling.

The judge, however, fixed November 1 for the hearing of the substantive suit.

Pulse reports that the main suit dated and filed on July 4 by the group listed the Nigeria Police Force and Inspector General of Police as the 1st and 2nd respondents respectively.