Yahaya Bello pulls out of suit seeking to remove Buhari from office

Governor Yahaya Adosa Bello of Kogi State has pulled out of a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to stop the conduct of the 2023 presidential election.

The governor withdrew from the suit praying to prohibit the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting the 2023 election on the ground that his presidential ambition is no longer under threat or jeopardy.

Recall that a presidential candidate in the 2019 election on the platform of Hope Democratic Party (HDP), Chief Ambrose Albert Owuru, had prayed the Federal High Court to restrain INEC from conducting the 2023 presidential election on the ground that he won the 2019 presidential election and that his tenure is being usurped by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He sought order of the court to remove Buhari and declare him (Owuru) the authentic president and that Buhari should be compelled to refund all monies he collected as salaries, emoluments and security votes.

Owuru, a British-trained constitutional lawyer called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984 also asked the court to order his inauguration for a four year tenure of office upon removal of Buhari from office.

But upon becoming aware of the suit instituted against President Buhari, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and INEC, Governor Bello had on May 20, 2022 rushed to the court with a motion on notice praying the court to make him 4th defendant and an interested party in the suit.

Governor Bello’s joinder motion was filed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr Musa Yakubu on his behalf.

He had claimed that his presidential ambition under the All Progressives Congress (APC) would be aborted and jeopardized if the prayers of Owuru are granted.

Bello in the motion had claimed that he had purchased an expression of interest form as well as nomination form from APC.

His motion was predicated on Order 9 Rule 4 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedures and section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.

However, at Tuesday’s proceedings, Bello made a dramatic turn with a request to be allowed to withdraw from the suit.

He claimed that he no longer has ambition for office of the President in 2023 since APC’S presidential ticket has been won by another person.

Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo in a brief ruling, struck out the governor’s name from the suit based on the withdrawal application.

Justice Ekwo subsequently fixed November 4, 2022 for hearing in Owuru’s suit seeking to remove Buhari from office and to declare him winner of the 2019 presidential election.