Tinubu’s henchmen ask court 24 hours after poll result puts Obi ahead of him
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Some people from the South West have asked a Lagos Federal High Court to block Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi and his supporters from holding in Lagos on 1 October a rally tagged “#Obidatti23 Forward Ever Rally”.
The plaintiffs are Adedotun Ajulo, Salamatu Lewi, Hakeem Ijaduola, Ogunbona Akinpelu, Owolabi Oluwasegun, Mogbojuri Kayode, Wuyep Nadom, Dimimu Mabel, Kolawole Salami, and Wale Lawrence.
They also asked the court to block the rally from holding in any part of Lagos State, alleging it is an extension of the #EndSARS protest of October 2020.
News of the court case broke on Friday, 24 hours after the announcement of an opinion poll of voter intention in the 2023 presidential election.
The survey conducted by NOI Polls puts Peter Obi eight points clear of both All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.
Tinubu was Lagos Governor between 1999 and 2007. He still lives in the state.
Obi released a video last weekend in which he repeated what many Nigerians have said that Tinubu is too ill to be President.
Tinubu embarked on several medical trips abroad in 2021 alone. He underwent at least two surgeries in the United States, and from there flew to the United Kingdom where he received further treatment for three months, between July and October.
As other Nigerians have done, Obi also challenged Tinubu in the video to publicly declare his source of wealth, to be sure his hands are clear to occupy Aso Rock.
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Others named as defendants in the suit
The plaintiffs asked the court to restrain Obi; his running mate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed; one Julius Abure; and their loyalists from holding the rally until the hearing and determination of their motion on notice, per Vanguard reporting.
Named as defendants are Obi, LP, Baba-Ahmed, Abure, the Inspector General of Police, Lagos Police Commissioner, Department of State Services Director General, Lekki Concession Company, Lagos Governor, and Lagos Attorney General.
An ex-parte application before Justice Daniel Osiagor the plaintiffs filed through their counsel Dada Awosika, SAN said
- A repeat or celebration of the “infamous” EndSARS protest of 2020 under the political guise of “#Obidatti23 Forward Ever Rally” will cause a breakdown of peace and result in a post-traumatic stress disorder for them and the public.
- Asked for an order of interim injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants, their associates and loyalists from conducting the scheduled END SARS Rally tagged as the “#Obidatti23 Forward Ever Rally on October 1, 2022, or on any other subsequent date, at the Lekki Toll Gate until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The judge directed the plaintiffs to put all the defendants on notice and adjourned hearing on the substantive suit until 23 September.
