On Thursday, a Federal High Court in Abuja granted permission to a civil rights organisation under the auspices of Incorporated Trustees of Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy. The permission was granted to apply for order of mandamus that will compel the Inspector-General of Police to prosecute Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All-Progressives Congress, over alleged perjury.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, delivering ruling in an ex-parte application argued by the group’s lawyer, Ugo Nwofor, granted the leave to apply for the order. An order of mandamus compelling the respondents to comply with Sections 31 and 32 of the Police Act. It was gathered that the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, had allegedly refused to arrest and prosecute Tinubu for allegedly supplying false information on oath in respect of his educational qualifications.

Nwofor, had primed Justice Ekwo that it predicated on the rule of the Federal High Court to first obtain permission of the court before proceeding with a suit seeking order to compel the police chief to carry out his constitutional duties.

Justice Ekwo, in a brief ruling, held that the ex-parte application was meritorious and subsequently granted it. The judge fixed November 1 for hearing of the substantive suit. The main suit was dated and filed on July 4 by the group has the Nigerian Police Force and the Inspector-General of Police as first and second respondent.

The IG’s refusal to take action on its petition against Tinubu compelled the suit against the police, the CSO emphasised. The petition was one over an offence it claimed the presidential candidate was indicted on, by the Lagos State House of Assembly in 1999.

The applicant, in its petition to the IGP, claimed that Tinubu lied on oath in his form CF 001 he submitted to INEC in aid of his qualification for the governorship election in Lagos State in 1999.

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