I'm Not Concerned About Tinubu Being Sworn In On May 29 - Atiku

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president and PDP candidate, said on Tuesday he wasn't concerned that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu would be sworn in as president on May 29 before petitions to overturn his election results were resolved.

Atiku expressed optimism that he would successfully defend his election in court despite the fact that he is now contesting Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the legitimate victor of the presidential election that took place on February 25.

Shortly after the Presidential Election case Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja, merged his case with those submitted by Labour Party candidate, he said through his principal attorney, Chief Chris Uche, SAN. Even after the swearing-in ceremony, Mr. Peter Obi and the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, Atiku, said, the court had the authority to remove Tinubu from office.

The PDP candidate, through his team of lawyers, noted that full-blown hearing on the three merged petitions would begin on May 30, a day after Tinubu's inauguration as president. "I have been asked about May 29, I want to assure people that swearing in is only a ceremony that does not in any way tie the hands of the court," the candidate said.

It will be recalled that the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel had approved Atiku's plea to be given three weeks to submit evidence before the court through 100 witnesses during the presentation of its pre-hearing report on Tuesday.

Atiku had argued that Tinubu's declaration as the winner of the presidential election was "invalid due to non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022" in his joint appeal with the PDP, designated CA/PEPC/05/2023.

He maintained that corruption rendered Tinubu's election illegal.