Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, granted permission to a civil group, Incorporated Trustees of Center for Reform and Public Advocacy, to apply for an order of mandamus, compelling the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba, to prosecute the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, over alleged perjury.
The permission followed an ex-parte application argued by the group through its lawyer, Mr Ugo Nwofor.
The group had petitioned the police over alleged act of perjury by the former governor of Lagos State but, since its letter was received by the defendants some weeks back, he has yet to carry out its duty of investigating and prosecuting reported crime as in the Tinubu case.
The court, in a ruling, held that the ex-parte application was meritorious and subsequently granted it, fixing November 1, for hearing of the substantive suit.
The main suit, dated and filed on July 4 by the group, has the Nigerian Police Force and the Inspector General of Police as 1st and 2nd respondents, respectfully.
According to the NGO, the legal action against the police was necessitated by IGP’s refusal to take action on its petition against Tinubu over an offence it claimed the presidential candidate was indicted for by the Lagos State House of Assembly in 1999.
The applicant in its petition to the IG, claimed that Tinubu lied on oath in his form CF 001 he submitted to INEC in aid of his qualification for the governorship election in Lagos State in 1999.
Applicant further claimed that, Tinubu “forged all the educational certificates he listed in his INEC Form CF 001, which he admitted he did not posses in annexure C.
“For purpose of clarity, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the said INEC Form deposed to on oath that he attended Government College, Ibadan and University of Chicago, USA, when in actual fact he did not.
“On the strength of the above, we respectfully demand that you initiate the criminal proceedings of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu consequent upon the express findings of the Lagos State House of Assembly as captured above.”
The order to investigate Tinubu is seen as a huge blow to the APC presidential candidate, who is facing several allegations of perjury, which meant he made false declaration under oath. He has also been accused of drug dealings in the US in the 90s for which he allegedly forfeited nearly half a million dollars to the US government.
Alex Enumah in Abuja
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