The Hope Democratic Party (HDP) has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court to stop the May 29 inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
HDP filed the interlocutory appeal seeking to set aside the ruling of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal presided by Justice Joseph Ikyegh which on May 22, refused his application to stop the inauguration of Buhari.
HDP and its candidate, Ambrose Owuru, were among the political parties challenging the February 23 presidential election.
The party is praying the apex court to restrain the president-elect from presenting himself for swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday pending the final determination of petitions challenging the validity of his election.
In the appeal filed on its behalf by Yusuf Ibrahim, HDP is praying for an order of the apex court directing the Senate President or the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to take over power pending the time all issues arising from the last election would be fully resolved.
Specifically, the party claimed that the tribunal failed to apply the extant provision of Section 25 of the Electoral Act, 2010 in mandatorily suspending the oath ceremony until the validity of the said election is determined by the tribunal.
“The court is under an unwavering duty to obey and apply the expressed constitutional prohibitive and injunctive provision of section 1(2) of the 1999 constitutional to safeguard and uphold the sanctity of the constitution above any individual; or group interest under any guise,” the party claimed.
