CSO asks court to compel IGP to charge Tinubu with perjury over certificate controversy

The Incorporated Trustees of Center for Reform and Public Advocacy, a civil society organisation (CSO), has sued Usman Baba, inspector-general of police (IGP), over his alleged refusal to prosecute Bola Tinubu, All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate.

In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1058/2022 and filed on July 4, the group claimed that Tinubu lied under oath when he tendered his credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 1999.

He ran for the governorship of Lagos state at the time.

Besides Tinubu, the academic qualifications of Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, and Ifeanyi Okowa, his running mate, have come under scrutiny.

The group said the IGP is empowered by the constitution and police act to probe criminal allegations levelled against anyone.

“An order of mandamus compelling the respondents to comply with sections 31 and 32 of the police act and section 3 of the criminal justice act, 2015 in respect of alleged crime laid out in complaint of the applicant encapsulated in the letter of June 16, 2022 received by the respondents on the same date and titled: Demand for Criminal Prosecution of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu under Sections 191, 192 and 463 of the criminal code act, law of the federation of Nigeria, 2004 consequent upon the findings of the Lagos State House of Assembly ad hoc Committee, 1999,” the court document reads.

The CSO in the suit said according to section 32(1) of the police act any suspect is meant to be arrested and tried in a court.

“A suspect or defendant alleged or charged with committing offence established by an Act of the national assembly or under any other laws shall be arrested, investigated and tried or dealt with according to the provisions of this act, except otherwise provided under this act,” it said.

The CSO said it was compelled to file the suit because two letters it wrote to the IGP where it called for prosecution of Tinubu were allegedly ignored.

In 1999, an ad hoc committee set up by the Lagos state house of assembly to probe Tinubu’s credentials did not find him wanting because his submissions to INEC “were not made for judicial proceedings”.

“[His submissions] were not made for judicial proceedings, there could be no perjury by law,” the committee found at the time.