Supreme Court Moved Up Verdict to Protect Tinubu From Release of FBI Files? PDP Chieftain Speaks
- Amid Nigeria's disputed presidential election, Reno Omokri has cautioned dissidents against circulating "unfounded claims"
- Omokri said Nigeria is the only country the citizens have and if they destroy it because of fake news on social media, "no country on earth can take over 220 million Nigerians who will become refugees"
- Although Omokri is known to be a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he is not in complete agreement with his party's litigations against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
- Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 6-year-experience covering politics in Nigeria
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FCT, Abuja - A former media aide to ex-president, Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has quashed insinuations that the Supreme Court moved up its verdict to protect President Bola Tinubu with an impending Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal record disclosure.
The Supreme Court fixed Thursday, October 25, to deliver the judgement it reserved on the two appeals that are seeking to nullify the election of President Tinubu.
Omokri defends Nigerian judiciary
Following the development, claims emerged on social media that the apex court moved up its verdict ‘to protect President Tinubu from the impending release of the FBI files’.
Reacting, Omokri, a chieftain of the PDP, said the claim is capable of heating up the polity.
He tweeted on Wednesday, October 25:
“The claim by some that the Supreme Court moved up its verdict to protect President Bola Tinubu from the impending release of the FBI files is unfounded, and it will unnecessarily heat the polity and lead to a severe erosion of confidence in the judiciary amongst Nigerians.
“The fact of the matter is that due to the provisions of the Electoral Act, there is a timeframe for election petitions, and they will usually follow the same pattern. For example, in 2019, the Supreme Court rendered judgment in the case of Atiku Versus Buhari on Wednesday, October 30, 2019. In 2023, the Supreme Court is rendering judgment on Thursday, October 26, 2023.
“You can see that both judgments are evenly spaced by exactly 4 years. You do not have to support Tinubu to support the truth.
“Nigeria is the only country we have. And if we destroy it because of fake news on social media, no country on Earth can take over 220 million Nigerians who will become refugees."
Disputed election: Supreme Court announces judgement date
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Supreme Court fixed a date for the judgment on the appeals by the presidential candidates of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, and the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, against President Tinubu.
The Supreme Court’s Director of Information, Festus Akande, disclosed that the judgement on the appeals had been scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday), October 26.
Tinubu: American seeks release of FBI document
Legit.ng also reported that Aaron Greenspan, an American citizen and founder of Plainsite, a US-based website, filed an emergency motion on Friday, October 20, at the US District Court, Columbia, Washington DC.
In a statement on Saturday, October 21, President Tinubu’s special adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, alleged that the move is an attempt by the opposition to “stampede” the US court to change its earlier order on the FBI to release documents on Tinubu's forfeiture case of 1993.
Source: Legit.ng