S’Court inaugurates Election Petition Tribunal, tomorrow

..Ohanaeze to attend Tinubu’s inauguration

THE newly appointed 39 members of the Election Petition Tribunal will be inaugurated tomorrow.

  The inauguration will be performed by Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, during their swearing-in at the Main Hall of Supreme Court of Nigeria, Abuja complex.

  A statement issued by Supreme Court’s Director of Information and Press, Dr. Festus Akande, indicated that the ceremony will start by 11 am.

  It will be recalled that the new members are to join others appointed earlier to adjudicate over petitions emanating from the conduct of the 2023 general elections conducted by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

  Meanwhile, there are indications that Ohanaeze Ndigbo is mulling on plans to honour the invitation to attend May 29 inauguration of President-elect, Bola Tinubu.

  The hint was provided in a statement issued yesterday by Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro.

  According to him, Govs. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, and Nyesom Wike of Rivers State are strongly backing the move.

  “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is mobilising massively to attend the inauguration of President-Elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Monday, 29th May, 2023, at Eagle Square, Abuja. Ohanaeze Ndigbo came to the pragmatic conclusion that boycotting Tinubu’s inauguration was of no strategic benefit to Ndigbo. Rather, it would lead to undue isolation of Ndigbo while giving the impression that Ndigbo was at war with him (Tinubu).

For the avoidance of doubt, Ohanaeze wishes the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, well in his pursuit to exercise his legal and constitutional rights over the 2023 presidential election results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

However, Ohanaeze Ndigbo urges Ndigbo to remain law-abiding and avoid engaging the Tinubu-led Federal Government in confrontation. Ndigbo is mindful of the future and will never play bad politics of bitterness and malice against President-Elect Tinubu. Indeed, the era of “nzogbunzogbu” politics is over, and Ndigbo should learn to approach political issues in Nigeria from a holistic perspective, not disjointed sentiments.

It will be unwise for Ndigbo to boycott the inauguration of the incoming administration of the Federal Government of Nigeria under Tinubu since it will amount to cutting off our noses to spite our faces. World leaders, including former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, have already congratulated Tinubu, and their countries are billed to attend his inauguration,” Isiguzoro said.