HDP disowns presidential candidate’s petition against Buhari’s inauguration

Hope Democratic Party (HDP) has distanced itself from the petition filed by its presidential candidate, Ambrose Owuru, asking the presidential election petition tribunal to stop the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term.

National vice chairman and vice presidential candidate, Haruna Shaba, made the party’s position known in a statement he personally signed and issued to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday.

The presidential candidate of the party had in the suit he instituted on behalf of himself and the party, sought an order restraining Buhari from presenting himself on May 29 or any other date for inauguration or taking of oath of allegiance and oath of office as President.

He also sought an order restraining the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Mohammed, or any other justice from inaugurating or administering oath on Buhari.

However, Shaba has revealed that he is working with other National Executive Committee (NEC) members against the legal action taken by Owuru.

“We called an emergency NEC meeting to discuss very serious issues affecting our great Party.

“We have taken the decision to instruct our Lawyers to communicate the decision of the NEC to the Presidential Election Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

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“In the last two weeks, I have been inundated with calls from many party members, including some NEC members, to explain the information that our party has filed a petition at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja,” Yahaya-Shaba said.

He said many people were shocked and surprised when he explained that as the deputy national chairman and indeed the vice presidential candidate of HDP, he only heard of the news of filing petition at the tribunal from the media.

“HDP is not a personal property of any individual. It is, therefore, illegal and unacceptable for any individual in the party to take such a unilateral decision without getting official approval of the Party.

“As the running mate of the party in the last presidential election, I therefore dissociate myself from this unilateral action.

He also disclosed that the NEC of HDP had also constituted a seven-man committee to investigate allegations against Owuru that he allegedly received substantial amount of money from the opposition PDP to institute the illegal petition.

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