Olanipekun: Buhari didn’t influence judges over 2019 election petitions

January 17, 2020 11:41 pm

PRESIDENT BUHARI HOST TO A DINNER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION LEGAL TEAM. President Muhammadu Buhari flanked by the Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo SAN As President receives the Judgement of Presidential Election Tribunal Document delivered by the Supreme Court from the Lead Counsel for the Presidential Election Tribunal Team, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN accompanied by Chief Lateef Fagbemi SAN during a dinner hosted in their honour Thursday night, State House Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. JAN 16, 2020

Wole Olanipekun, senior advocate of Nigeria, says President Muhammadu Buhari, never used his office to influence the decision of the courts that sat over the 2019 presidential election petitions.

According to a statement by Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, Olanipekun spoke on Thursday at a dinner organised by Buhari for members of his legal team for the 2019 presidential election petition.

Olanipekun, who was Buhari’s lead counsel, said the legal victory was won based on the facts of the law.

“The courts were allowed to do their jobs. Mr President, I must commend you for that sir,” he was quoted to have said.

“Nobody whispered to anyone of us, how we are going to see judge A or judge B? That’s the way it should be. Judges must be allowed and be given free hand to do their job.

“Mr President, we are happy to have been called upon and we are happy that we delivered.”

On electoral reforms, Olanipekun acknowledged that while the national assembly was working on the electoral act, the law required some ‘‘rejigging and cleansing.’’

‘‘We are happy to know that the national assembly is doing something about the electoral law, ” he said.

‘‘We are ready to cooperate with them without taking a dime, whether as consultants, whether as legal practitioners, whether as experts. If the Attorney-General of the Federation will co-opt us, we are ready to give assistance.”

Olanipekun also commended the president’s commitment to the rule of law, saying, ‘‘it is the surest legacy Mr President can bequeath to our dear nation.’’