Politics

Ex-presidential Candidate Drags Buhari To Court Over 2019 Election

Published

3 years ago

February 20, 2023

A former presidential candidate in the 2019 general election, Chief Ambrose Albert Owuru has dragged President Muhammadu Buhari before the Court of Appeal in Abuja seeking an order of the court to oust Buhari from office and declare him the winner of the 2019 poll.

Owuru, who contested the 2019 presidential election on the platform of Hope Democratic Party, HDP, against Buhari is also praying the Appellate Court issue an order stopping all preparations for the conduct of a fresh presidential poll until his suit against the president is fully determined.

In his notice of appeal filed against the judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja which on January 30 threw away his case, the ex-presidential candidate accused the high court of a miscarriage of justice in the ways and manners his suit was adjudicated upon.

The notice of appeal stumbled upon by DAILY POST claimed that Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja erred in law and wrongfully interpreted Section 132 of the 1999 Constitution in arriving at findings that led to the dismissal of his case for want of merit.

Owuru, a constitutional lawyer trained in the United Kingdom and called to the Nigerian Bar in 1982 is demanding in the notice of appeal that the judgment of the Federal High Court be voided and set aside by the Court of Appeal.

The appellant claimed that the High Court judge erred in law when he invoked Section 285 of the Constitution on limitations to hold that his case was statute barred having not been filed within a period stipulated by law.

The ex-presidential candidate also faulted the finding of Justice Ekwo which held that his case was an affront to the finality and supremacy of the Supreme Court’s decision on the matter delivered in 1999.

Owuru said that contrary to the findings of the High Court, his case was not fully decided by the Supreme Court due to discrepancies in the hearing date issued during the hearing of the case.

The fresh appeal predicated on five grounds asked the Court of Appeal to set aside the High Court judgment and enter judgment in his favour and against Buhari.

Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the appeal.

In the High Court suit he instituted on June 16, 2021, Owuru had claimed that INEC had no constitutional power to have shifted the constitutionally fixed February 16, 2019 election, to February 23 adding that Buhari being a product of unlawful election of February 23 cannot lawfully govern the country.

The main ground of his case was that since his suit against Buhari at the Supreme Court in 2019 was inconclusive due to errors on the adjourned date, he should be declared the winner of the February 16 presidential election.

Owuru had in the suit applied for an order of the court to declare the presidential seat vacant and swear him in as the authentic winner of that election.

The suit was however dismissed by Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo on various grounds among which is that it was an affront to the finality of the Supreme Court which passed a judgment on the matter in 2019.

Politics

BREAKING: 17 ADC Reps Follow Join NDC

Published

3 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

About 17 African Democratic Congress, ADC, lawmakers in the House of Representatives have defected to the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC.

This was disclosed by Speaker Abass Tajudeen on the floor of the House on Tuesday.

Tajudeen also announced the defection of Leke Abejide from the ADC to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Lawmakers who defected to the NDC include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande and Munachim Umezuruike.

Others are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene and Abdulhakeem Ado.

This comes barely a day after former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso defected from the ADC to the NDC.

Obi and Kwankwaso have pledged to continue their pursuit for a better Nigeria in the NDC.

Politics

JUST IN: Why I left ADC For NDC With Kwankwaso – Peter Obi Opens Up

Published

23 hours ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

A former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has given reasons why he resigned from the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to join the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, alongside a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

In a long post on X on Monday, Obi insisted it was not out of anger or ambition.

Rather, he said the move is a continuation of the quest to build a new Nigeria.

Obi wrote: “Yesterday, I formally joined the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), alongside my dear brother, Engr. Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, with one clear purpose: to continue the struggle for a new Nigeria built on justice, competence, accountability, and compassion for the ordinary Nigerian.

“As I stated yesterday, this decision was not made out of anger, personal ambition, or convenience. It came after deep reflection on the present condition of our nation and the urgent need to rescue Nigeria from the dangerous path it is currently heading.

“Over the years, I have remained steadfast in my conviction that politics should never be about individuals, positions, or personal gain. It must be about the people, especially the millions of Nigerians who today can no longer afford necessities, whose businesses are collapsing, whose children are losing hope, and whose future is becoming increasingly uncertain.

“I left the ADC for the same reason I left the Labour Party: the severe, orchestrated litigation and internal crises deliberately designed to ensure that I, alongside many other notable individuals, do not effectively participate in the electoral process. I sincerely appreciate and remain deeply grateful to the Leadership of ADC for the opportunity to work together in pursuit of a better Nigeria. I am particularly grateful to ADC Chairman Senator David Mark for his exceptional Leadership. I also deeply appreciate my Leader and elder brother YE, Atiku Abubakar, as well as other respected leaders within the party.

“As we join the NDC, I sincerely appeal to the Nigerian Government against the encouragement of unresolved litigations and the infusion of crises within political parties. Democracy must never become a weapon against the people. A healthy democracy thrives on strong institutions, credible alternatives, and the freedom of citizens to make choices without intimidation, manipulation, or fear. Opposition parties must not be weakened or destroyed, because when democracy loses balance, the people ultimately suffer.

“Nigeria today is passing through one of the most difficult periods in its history. Poverty is rising. Hunger is widespread. Insecurity continues to threaten lives and livelihoods. Businesses are shutting down daily. Our young people are becoming discouraged, and many citizens have lost faith in the system. At a time like this, leadership must be driven not by propaganda or division, but by competence, capacity, character, and compassion.

“Our decision to join the NDC is therefore not an abandonment of values, but a continuation of the same mission we have always stood for: building a Nigeria where leadership is about service, where public resources are managed responsibly, where institutions function independently, and where every Nigerian, regardless of tribe, religion, region, or social status, can live with dignity, security, and hope.

“I remain committed to working with all Nigerians of goodwill across political, ethnic, and religious lines. The task before us is bigger than any individual or political party. It is about the future of our children and the survival of our dear nation.

“I thank Nigerians, especially our youths and women, for remaining peaceful, resilient, and hopeful despite the enormous challenges confronting the country. I urge you not to lose faith in Nigeria. Nations do not change because people surrender to hopelessness; they change because people continue to believe, continue to sacrifice, and continue to stand for what is right.”

Politics

Peter Obi, Kwankwaso Formally Join NDC, Warn Members Against Litigation

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2026

Editor

Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has warned party members to steer clear of any form of litigation that can plunge the party into chaos ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking in Abuja on Sunday after he was formally joined the party alongside the former governor of Kano State,

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso , the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party(LP), urged members to embrace dialogue in the interest of the party

“Please let there be no litigation. Party members, please don’t go to court. We want to build a party, we are not lawyers,” he pleaded.

The two political figures were received into the opposition party on Sunday at its national secretariat in Abuja.

Earlier, Obi had announced his exit from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while Kwankwaso had indicated he was engaged in “wide-ranging consultations” with the NDC.

The National Chairman of the party, Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, presented membership cards to both leaders at the event.

Speaking afterwards, Kwankwaso said their engagement with NDC stakeholders was driven by a shared vision and ideological alignment.

“We came to discuss with stakeholders of the party and found that our ideologies and beliefs are largely the same,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to register with the NDC ahead of the deadline for party membership registration, stressing the need for broader participation in the political process.