Chief Ambrose Owuru, a former presidential candidate, has filed a legal suit at the Supreme Court, requesting the removal of President Bola Tinubu from office.
Owuru, who represented the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) in the 2019 general election, claims that President Tinubu is unfit for office due to his alleged ties with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States, which Owuru argues compromises his ability to serve as Nigeria’s leader.
In his petition, Owuru also contends that Tinubu’s past involvement in a drug-related case, during which he reportedly forfeited $460,000 to the U.S. government, further disqualifies him from holding the presidential office.
Owuru invoked Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution, seeking the Supreme Court’s intervention to remove Tinubu, accusing him of being under the influence of foreign powers, which he claims renders him unqualified to lead Nigeria.
Additionally, Owuru, a lawyer who was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1982, named former President Muhammadu Buhari as a defendant in the case, arguing that Buhari’s tenure was illegal.
He insists that he was the rightful winner of the 2019 election, but his mandate was unlawfully taken by Buhari, who remained in office for eight years.
Owuru further alleged that a previous petition he filed to have Buhari removed was dismissed due to a scheduling error in the hearing dates, preventing the case from being heard.
In the suit, Owuru called for Tinubu’s disqualification and for the Supreme Court to declare him the rightful winner of the 2019 election.
He also asked court to order his immediate inauguration to reclaim what he describes as his “usurped mandate.”
The case, marked SC/CV/667/2023, also includes the Attorney General of the Federation, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and other government officials as defendants.
The Supreme Court scheduled a hearing for Monday, December 16, 2024, to review the motions.
The court’s notice, issued by the Chief Registrar, confirmed that the case would be heard on the specified date.
Owuru’s legal battles against the government are not new.
In May 2023, the Court of Appeal imposed a fine of N40 million on him for filing what it deemed a frivolous suit aimed at preventing Tinubu’s swearing-in.
Prior to this, he also sought to block Buhari’s inauguration in 2019, alleging electoral fraud orchestrated by INEC, particularly regarding the postponement of the presidential election, which he claimed was a scheme to manipulate the results.
Owuru has consistently maintained that he won a referendum before the election, securing over 50 million votes, which he claims surpassed the total votes of all other presidential candidates.
Owuru’s petition further seeks an order compelling Buhari to refund all earnings he received as president, which Owuru argues were obtained “illegally.”
Despite the legal setbacks, Owuru has remained resolute in his pursuit to challenge the results of the 2019 and 2023 elections, urging the court to annul the presidential election and install him as the rightful president for a four-year term.
