Academic qualifications: Arrest Tinubu within 48 hours, group tells IGP

A civil rights organisation, Center for Reform and Public Advocacy (CRPA), has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Inspector General of Police to arrest and commence criminal prosecution of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, for allegedly tendering false academic qualifications to secure the nomination.

In the event he failed to act, the organisation threatened to institute a court action against the IGP for an order of mandamus to compel him to effect the arrest of Tinubu at the end of the ultimatum.

The threat was issued by the Legal Adviser of the CRPA and human rights lawyer, Agu Kalu, during a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, June 25, 2022, The Punch reports.

Meanwhile, the Director (Legal Directorate), Tinubu Campaign Organisation, Babatunde Ogala (SAN), told the paper, that they were prepared to defend against legal threats and allegations.

He clarified that the APC candidate has acted in full compliance with the

Ogala said, “There is nothing to respond to them, the Electoral Act is clear. We are waiting, let them go, let them bring the writ, we will defend it. I think we have gone past this stage of some people on social media, for whatever reason in the media, issuing threats.

“If they have anything, let them bring it. As far as we are concerned, our candidate has complied fully with the provisions of the Electoral Act. If they want to go to court, let them go to court. But we must also let them know that we are not unconscious of the laws of defamation in the country. We know the difference between a court process that is privileged and making unfounded allegations in the Newspapers like they are doing now.

“But honestly, our candidate is not perturbed, he can’t be bothered by all these threats. If they want to go to court, let them go to court. When they come, we will react appropriately to the court process. What we know, we have complied fully with the provisions of the law and we will not be blackmailed and intimidated.”

According to the legal practitioner, the former Lagos State Governor has fallen short of legal qualifications to become the next president of Nigeria in 2023 reason being that he supplied false information on oath in his form EC 9 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Kalu also alleged, amongst others, that in 19991 Tinubu claimed to have attended Saint Paul Aroloya Children Home School, Ibadan between 1958 and 1964 and Government College, Ibadan between 1965 and 1969, only to turn around in 2022 that he never attended any primary or secondary school in his EC9 form.

He said, “We wrote a petition to the IG on June 16, demanding the prosecution of Tinubu for providing false information on oath in his INEC form CF 001 which he submitted in 1999.

“Since the IG is yet to act on the petition, we are using this press conference to call on the IG to do the needful, he is not above the law, nobody is above the law, Sections 191 and 192 makes it a criminal offence to provide false information on oath.

“We are also calling on President Buhari to direct the IG to arrest and prosecute Tinubu for perjury, it is a very serious issue.”

He added that, should President Muhammadu Buhari and the IPG failed to act, the group with other civil organisations will seek a judicial review from the court of law attain an order mandamus to order the IG to do the needful.