A group of lawyers under the auspices of Lawyers Network for Bola Ahmed Tinubu (LANBAT) have urged Nigerians to allow the court to determine allegations against the APC Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
The lawyers, who made the call at a news conference in Abuja, said the growing trend of blackmail and name-calling was against legal procedures.
Mr Sufyanu Sai’du a co-convener of the conference, said opponents were more concerned with blackmailing Tinubu and his running mate Kashim Shettima, rather than ensuring issue-based campaigns.
He said, “the latest of this infantile attack is the issue of Order of Forfeiture by the United States Government.
“This order of forfeiture is of funds in some accounts bearing the name of Bola Tinubu. This has no substance in law at all.
“The opponents have consistently thrown out offensive and defamatory statements attacking the man of unequalled antecedents in governance above them,” he said.
Sai’ du said the deviation from issue-based campaigns to frivolities, often subjects Nigeria to ridicule before the international community and must be discouraged.
He said they were duty-bound as lawyers to educate and remind Nigerians and the international community that Nigeria was a sovereign state.
The group’s co-convener said as a sovereign state, Nigeria enjoyed sovereign rights, duties and powers under international law.
“The sovereign activities of another country should not be allowed to drive our legal and political internal activities.
Sai’du said it was only the candidacy of Tinubu and Shettima that had provided the electorate with a clear manifesto and action plans.
According to him, laughably and pitiably, one of the candidates has told the world that his manifesto is in his head even less than 100 days to the election.
“Nigerians must be watchful and weary of opportunists and people who do not appreciate our history.
“So, beyond the cheap blackmail and propaganda, Tinubu and Shettima team is that of men who have their history in the public sphere as legislators and governors, unlike the other major contenders,” he said.
On their role as lawyers in the electioneering process, the co-convener said they would continue to engage the electorate for proper guidance on their choice of candidates.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that some of the co-conveners, Mr Adedotun Ajulo, Mr Olalekan Adeshina and Mr Kayode Mogbojuri, harped on the need to seek legal redress in matters.
The group said while Nigerians were free to investigate any candidate, it was proper to allow the court to determine any form of allegation against any of the candidates.
It said it was impossible to convict anybody without a charge number, adding that they were yet to see any of such against the APC candidate.
The co-conveners commended Nigerians, who had approached the court over some of the allegations against Tinubu, saying that was the way to go.
