Tinubu’s inauguration sacrosanct, says Sagay

Constitutional lawyer, Chief Itse Sagay, has said nothing can stop the inauguration of President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on May 29, 2023. He said everything has been put in place for his inauguration and it will go on irrespective of the call by his opponents for postponement. In a chat with Daily Trust, Sagay, Chairman […]

Constitutional lawyer, Chief Itse Sagay, has said nothing can stop the inauguration of President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on May 29, 2023.

He said everything has been put in place for his inauguration and it will go on irrespective of the call by his opponents for postponement.

In a chat with Daily Trust, Sagay, Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption (PACAC), faulted those who called for the conclusion of the cases at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal before Tinubu would be sworn in.

He said previous presidents were sworn in immediately, despite having pending cases before the tribunal, adding the goalpost should not be changed in the case of Tinubu.

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Sagay also lashed at the proponents of an Interim National Government (ING), saying anyone talking about that is planning a coup and should be arrested because according to him an ING is unconstitutional and can only happen under a military government.

He said, “Obasanjo (former President Olusegun Obasanjo) was sworn-in when cases against him were on. Yar’Adua (late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua) was sworn-in when cases against him were on. Jonathan (former President Goodluck Jonathan) was sworn-in when the cases challenging his election were still on. Jonathan conceded defeat and did not challenge President Muhammadu Buhari’s election.

“So what is so different about Tinubu that in his own case, at any cost, he must not be sworn-in until the cases are over? Is he not a Nigerian? Are we not operating under the same constitution?

“So what is all the noise about him? It is all baseless. People can hate as much as they like but it cannot affect the law and the processes established in the constitution.”

He said the argument about securing 25 percent in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is irrelevant.

“All you need is to score 25 percent in 25 states and he has 25 percent in 29 states. So that is totally irrelevant. The Federal Capital Territory has no special status as far as that is concerned, it is just like a state.”

On ING, he said,  “ING is not in the constitution. It is not possible. It can only happen under a military regime unless those who are talking now are planning a coup. Anyone who talks about this is planning a coup, he should be arrested.”

He tasked the President-Elect to, on assumption of office, focus on insecurity and work hard to make “the country safe again.”