Don’t intimidate judiciary, CSO warns Tinubu’s legal team at tribunal

The Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM), a civil society organisation (CSO), says the legal team representing President Bola Tinubu at the election tribunal should not intimidate the country’s judiciary.

The CSO’s comment came after the final written address of Tinubu and his legal team at the tribunal.

Tinubu, through Wole Olanipekun, his counsel, in the final written address, said the federal capital territory (FCT) is the 37th state for electoral purposes and any other interpretation would “lead to absurdity, chaos, anarchy and alteration of the very intention of the legislature”.

Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, standard bearers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), are challenging Tinubu’s victory in the last election.

In a statement on Thursday, Danjuma Musa, COPDEM’s spokesperson, said any threat to the judiciary, is a threat to the country’s democracy.

“COPDEM is in support and advocates for the absolute independence and integrity of the judiciary as fundamental to the success of our democracy and for the peace and unity of Nigeria as a nation,” Musa said.

“It is a threat to the judiciary and rule of law for a senior advocate of Nigeria to presume and invoke anarchy in Nigeria if the victory of his client, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is judiciously overturned by the presidential election petition tribunal before the whole world.

“The requirement of 25 percent in the FCT is in the Nigerian constitution, not a party constitution.

“Upholding the provisions of the constitution is a fundamental democratic ideal while its interpretation and determination for all intents are the sole mandates of the judiciary.

“Notably, such insinuations are threats to the peace and unity of Nigeria and therefore must be condemned and withdrawn.”