The president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Yakubu Maikyau, has made a bold statement, asserting that Bola Tinubu is currently the president of Nigeria, whether the public approves or not.
According to Maikyau, this declaration is grounded in the laws of the country, including the constitution and the Electoral Act. He emphasized that recognizing Tinubu's position is a matter of adhering to the legal framework.
During an interview on ARISE TV, Maikyau defended the decision to have President Tinubu deliver the opening speech at the recent NBA conference. He stated, "That Tinubu is president today is a function of laws. It’s a function of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is a function of the Electoral Act. What I’ve done is simply to recognize the position of the law.”
He went on to clarify, “As far as the law is concerned today in this country, without prejudice to the tendency of petition against the election and declaration of President Tinubu, he is the president and commander-in-chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."
Maikyau emphasized that this recognition is rooted in the law and not influenced by individual sentiments. He mentioned that when a public officer makes a declaration, there is a presumption that they have the authority to do so, and this presumption supports Tinubu's status as president.
In response to concerns about Tinubu's invitation to the NBA conference amidst ongoing election petitions, Maikyau posed the question, "Are we without a president because there is a pending petition?" He firmly defended the decision to invite Tinubu, stating that it aligns with the provisions of the law.
Tinubu's invitation had sparked discussions, especially due to the presidential election petitions tribunal's examination of his electoral victory, as Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi seek to invalidate his win on various grounds.