A total of 89 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) have been hired to mediate the legal squabble between the three competing political parties in the presidential and national assembly elections in 2023.
According to news sources, the debate over who would keep or reclaim the mandate took a new turn when the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) revealed that the total number of attorneys representing the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, had increased to 50.
This online news source previously revealed that Tinubu officially inaugurated a team of 49 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to defend his victory before the presidential election petition tribunal sitting at the Court of Appeal on February 25, 2023.
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According to reports, the inauguration took place at the Ikoyi office of his lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun.
Tinubu told the 50-member team, which would be lead by Olanipekun, that the mission ahead of them is not just about defending his election, but also about preserving democracy.
Members of the 50-man team include Chief Akin Olujimi, Emmanuel Ukala, Chief Afolabi Fashanu, Prof. Konyinsola Ajayi, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, Tani Molajo, Tayo Oyetibo, Mike Igbokwe, Bayo Adelodun, Oladele Adesina, Oladipo Okpeseyi, Lawal Pedro, Chukwuma Ekomaru, Olasupo Shasore, Abiodun Owonikoko, Adesegun Ajibola, Solomon Umoh, Tunde Busari, Prof. Dakas Dakas, Ogwu James Onoja, Prof. J. Olukayode Olatoke, Chief Hakeem Afolabi and Dr Muiz Banire.
Others are Oladapo Olanipekun, A.U Mustapha, Chief Yomi Aliyu, Olusola Oke, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, Bode Olanipekun, Prof Lawan Yusufari, Anthony Malik, Babatunde Ogala, Funmi Quadri, Remi Olatubora, Kunle Adegoke, Abdul Mohammed Rafindadi, Chief Anthony Adeniyi, Marcel Oru, M.A Abubakar, Said Sanusi, Adebayo Mutalubi Ojo, Hanafin Mumin and Prince Lukman Fagbemi.
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Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, inaugurated 19 SANs on Wednesday to challenge the election results and “establish the allegation of illegality in the February 25 presidential election and recapture the mandate of the Nigerian people.”
The team, led by JK Gadzama (SAN), has 18 other SANs which include Chris Uche, Paul Usoro, Tayo Jegede, Ken Mozia, Mike Ozekhome, Mahmood Magaji, Joe Abraham, Chukwuma Umeh, Garba Tetengi and Emeka Etiaba.
Others are Chief Goddy Uche, Prof. Maxwell Gidado; the National Legal Adviser of the PDP, A. Ajibade, Mr O. Atoyebi, Mrs Nella Rabana, Paul Ogbole, Nuremi Jimoh, and Abdul Ibrahim.
Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu told Newsmen after the meeting that “Atiku raised a team of 19 Senior Advocates of Nigeria. You (Tinubu) claimed you won the election, yet you gather 50 lawyers; what are you gathering them for?
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“It is imperative that they work assiduously towards reclaiming the mandate, not necessarily because of him (Atiku) and the PDP, but to strengthen democracy and the electoral process and for generations unborn.”
Also, the Labour Party, who is the third contender, also said it has more than 20 also ready to fight to reclaim its mandate.
The National Secretary of the Labour Party, Umar Farouk submitted that “We have more than 20 SANs that are willing to participate and offer their services for the renewal and emergence of a new Nigeria. As I am talking to you, our lawyers are working on it.
“But this is not something we can discuss on the pages of a newspaper. All I can tell you is that we have started ‘trekking’ to the court.”
According to news reports, the number of lawyers vying for the mandate has dwindled to 89 as the battle line has been set.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, was proclaimed the winner and president-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on February 25th.
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The former governor of Lagos State received 8,794,726 votes, defeating Atiku and Peter Obi, who received 6,984,520 and 6,101,533 votes, respectively.
However, Atiku and Obi disputed the results announced by INEC, claiming that they were manipulated and full of errors, and vowed to take legal action to reclaim their mandates.
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