Appeal court strikes out Action Alliance suit seeking to disqualify Tinubu

The court of appeal sitting in Abuja has struck out an appeal filed by the Action Alliance (AA) against Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Action Alliance had sought the disqualification of the APC presidential candidate from the 2023 election on the grounds that he allegedly forged his University of Chicago certificate.

The party also alleged that Tinubu’s claim of attending Government College, Ibadan is false.

However, the federal high court in Abuja dismissed the suit on December 13, 2022.

The party proceeded to file an appeal on December 21.

At the hearing on February 3, Julius Ishola, a counsel from the chambers of Babatunde Ogala & Co who represented the APC, adopted the notice of preliminary objection and brief of argument, praying the court to dismiss or strike out the appeal for lacking in merit.

But AA urged the court to dismiss the objections filed by the respondents and allow the appeal.

Delivering an unanimous judgment on Friday, the court of appeal dismissed the appeal for being statute barred, having been filed more than 22 years after the occurrence of the purported cause of action.

The court also held that the appellant lacked the locus standi to institute the suit and described the party as a meddlesome interloper.

Consequently, the appellate court affirmed the decision of the trial court delivered on December 13, 2022.