Presidential Election: 89 SANs To Battle At Tribunal

A combined total of 89 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) have been engaged to banter the legal tussle among the three contending political parties in the 2023 presidential and national assembly elections.

Naija News reports that the fight for who to retain or reclaim the mandate took a new dimension when the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) disclosed that the total number of lawyers representing the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, had risen to 50.

This online news platform reported earlier that president-elect, Tinubu officially inaugurated a team of 49 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to defend his election at the February 25, 2023, presidential election before the presidential election petition tribunal sitting at the Court of Appeal.

It was gathered that the inauguration was held at the Ikoyi office of his lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN).

Tinubu told the 50-member team which would be led by Olanipekun that the task before them is not just about defending his election, noting that it is a task that has the defence of democracy as its major prime.

Members of the 50-man team include Chief Akin Olujimi, Emmanuel Ukala, Chief Afolabi Fashanu, Prof. Konyinsola Ajayi, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, Tani Molajo, Tayo Oyetibo, Mike Igbokwe, Bayo Adelodun, Oladele Adesina, Oladipo Okpeseyi, Lawal Pedro, Chukwuma Ekomaru, Olasupo Shasore, Abiodun Owonikoko, Adesegun Ajibola, Solomon Umoh, Tunde Busari, Prof. Dakas Dakas, Ogwu James Onoja, Prof. J. Olukayode Olatoke, Chief Hakeem Afolabi and Dr Muiz Banire.

Others are Oladapo Olanipekun, A.U Mustapha, Chief Yomi Aliyu, Olusola Oke, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, Bode Olanipekun, Prof Lawan Yusufari, Anthony Malik, Babatunde Ogala, Funmi Quadri, Remi Olatubora, Kunle Adegoke, Abdul Mohammed Rafindadi, Chief Anthony Adeniyi, Marcel Oru, M.A Abubakar, Said Sanusi, Adebayo Mutalubi Ojo, Hanafin Mumin and Prince Lukman Fagbemi.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the camp of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar inaugurated 19 SANs to challenge the results of the poll and “establish the claim of illegality in the February 25 presidential election and reclaim the mandate of the Nigerian people.”

The team, led by JK Gadzama (SAN), has 18 other SANs which include Chris Uche, Paul Usoro, Tayo Jegede, Ken Mozia, Mike Ozekhome, Mahmood Magaji, Joe Abraham, Chukwuma Umeh, Garba Tetengi and Emeka Etiaba.

Others are Chief Goddy Uche, Prof. Maxwell Gidado; the National Legal Adviser of the PDP, A. Ajibade, Mr O. Atoyebi, Mrs Nella Rabana, Paul Ogbole, Nuremi Jimoh, and Abdul Ibrahim.

Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu told The Punch after the meeting that “Atiku raised a team of 19 Senior Advocates of Nigeria. You (Tinubu) claimed you won the election, yet you gather 50 lawyers; what are you gathering them for?

“It is imperative that they work assiduously towards reclaiming the mandate, not necessarily because of him (Atiku) and the PDP, but to strengthen democracy and the electoral process and for generations unborn.”

Also, the Labour Party, who is the third contender, also said it has more than 20 also ready to fight to reclaim its mandate.

The National Secretary of the Labour Party, Umar Farouk submitted that “We have more than 20 SANs that are willing to participate and offer their services for the renewal and emergence of a new Nigeria. As I am talking to you, our lawyers are working on it.

“But this is not something we can discuss on the pages of a newspaper. All I can tell you is that we have started ‘trekking’ to the court.”

Naija News however gathered that the compilation of lawyers to battle for the mandate tussle has closed up to 89 thus far as the battle line has been drawn.

It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu as the winner and president-elect from the February 25th poll.

The former Lagos State governor polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku and Peter Obi who got 6,984,520 and 6,101,533 votes, respectively.

However, Atiku and Obi rejected the results announced by INEC, alleging that the results were rigged and full of irregularities, therefore declaring their intentions to take legal action to redeem their mandates.