LAGOS, Nigeria — An alleged scheme to declare May 26, 2023, and 29, 2023, public holidays ahead of the swearing-in of the president-elect Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, has reportedly been unveiled, according to inside sources.
Rumours have spread that Tinubu is pressuring incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari to sanction the long weekend as a public holiday to facilitate his inauguration, scheduled for May 29, 2023.
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Critics have labeled this potential holiday declaration a “criminal move,” asserting that it could obstruct the Supreme Court’s pending judgment on a critical case involving the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and Senator Kassim Shettima, the vice president-elect.
“The move to declare May 26 a public holiday is aimed at thwarting the Supreme Court from delivering its judgment on the PDP/INEC/Shettima case.
The outcome of this case could significantly affect the APC,” an unidentified source revealed to News Band on Monday, May 22, 2023.
The case, set to be decided on May 26, pertains to Shettima’s alleged double nomination. Observers suggest this could potentially destabilize the APC’s political standing.
Amid the brewing storm, the Nigerian judiciary has been thrust into the limelight, with their forthcoming decision likely to shape the nation’s political landscape.
Political pundits, however, seem divided on the likely outcomes of the petition. Some believe the court will dismiss the case due to a lack of merit.
“As a pre-election matter, the Supreme Court will rule that PDP has no locus to initiate the suit. Only at the tribunal and at the Supreme Court will PDP and Labour Party (LP) have a locus to mount a challenge,” an observer noted.
Contrarily, others argue that this case transcends pre-election grievances, asserting that it implicates offenses under the Electoral Act 2022.
“It is not just a pre-election matter, it is an Electoral Act 2022 offense. Therefore, the Supreme Court cannot dismiss it for the petitioners have locus standi,” another observer argued.
The controversy has cast a shadow on Tinubu’s impending inauguration and thrust the judiciary into a position of power, with the hopes of millions of Nigerians hanging in the balance, especially those backing Peter Obi’s bid for the presidency.
