The Pdp Asks That Tinubu’s Name Be Removed From The INEC Webpage.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for president, has been disqualified, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) said yesterday.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, a campaign representative named Kola Ologbondiyan claimed Tinubu was no longer eligible to run in any elections in Nigeria due to his “criminal conviction and sentencing by a court of competent jurisdiction in the United States over a criminal case of trafficking in narcotics for which Tinubu forfeited the sum of $460,000 to the State.”
According to international agreements and laws, it has already been established that drug trafficking is an international crime. As a result, all countries are required to apprehend offenders, bring them to justice, and carry out any court orders issued against offenders anywhere in the globe.
As you are all aware, Nigeria is a party to this international agreement and is, thus, legally required to carry out the consequences of Tinubu’s conviction in the criminal case of drug trafficking.
The PDP campaign requested that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) be ordered to immediately remove Tinubu off the list of APC or other political party presidential candidates, and to erase his name from all materials and records pertaining to the 2023 presidential election.
Ologbondiyan said, “It is obvious that Asiwaju Tinubu was hastily convicted by the court from the pronouncement of the court and the punishment. He did not attempt to appeal the ruling but agreed to the $460,000 forfeiture instead.
To be clear, Ologbondiyan stated that Tinubu is ineligible to run for president if: “(d) He is under a sentence of death imposed by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria or a sentence of imprisonment or fine for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud (by whatever name called) or for any other offence imposed by any other competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria.
“The implication of the foregoing is that Asiwaju Tinubu remains a convict under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), having been so found guilty, fined, and agreeing to the forfeiture of $460,000 in sentencing, and having not received any state pardon or acquittal by any court of competent jurisdiction. The consequent effect is that he cannot contest election at any level in Nigeria.”
