Inauguration Suit: Tribunal Clears Jonathan, Sambo For Swearing In

SAN FRANCISCO, May 27, (THEWILL) – The five-member Presidential Election Tribunal sitting in Abuja Friday cleared President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo for swearing in on Sunday, May 29, 2011.

The tribunal led by President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Salami struck out an application filed by the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) after the party withdrew the petition under controversial circumstances.

The HDP had sought to stop the swearing in of the duo pending the determination of another suit in the same tribunal challenging the victory of Jonathan and Sambo in the April 16, 2011, Presidential election.

But at today’s court session where a ruling had been slated on the application, there was however some drama before the application was struck out. The lawyer who purportedly signed the May 06, 2011, petition on behalf of the party, Mr. Tochukwu Alozor, told the court that he had nothing to do with the petition.

There was a bit of back and forth between Alozor and the HDP lawyer, Mr. Eyare Ogah on how to proceed with the case.

Following Alozor’s insistence that he did not author the petition and sensing the tribunal’s determination to deliver a ruling on the application, Ogar moved to withdraw the petition prompting Jonathan’s lawyers, Mr. Alex Iziyon, SAN and Mr. Damian Dodo, SAN, to ask the tribunal to strike out the petition.

The HDP had earlier received knocks from majority of Nigerians who had accused the party of trying to heat up the already fragile political system.