**challenges National Assembly to defend Constitution

The Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been charged to sack President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its chairman over lack of legitimacy as President of Nigeria.
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank gave the charge in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday

According to him, the President lost legitimacy following discovery that he forged the Chicago State University (CSU) certificate he filed with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest the 2023 Presidential election.

He said: “If ECOWAS must remain relevant and retain its credibility and respect among member states, especially in dealing with military junta now spreading fast like a pandemic across the sub-Region it must act fast to protect its integrity.”

He equally challenged past and present presidents of member states of ECOWAS to prevail on the sub-Regional body to do the right thing by appointing another chairman in acting capacity pending ratification during the next Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS.

Failure to act timeously would put the Regional body in a lame duck position where all decisions reached during the tenure of Tinubu would not be respected and therefore null and void, Frank indicated.

He urged the leadership of the military junta in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger Republic not to have any dealings, discussion or negotiation with the Tinubu-led ECOWAS until the President is removed as its chairman.

He charged the authorities of ECOWAS not to be deceived by the appointment and secondment of broadcast journalist and Channels Television reporter, Mrs Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe, to serve as Communications Advisor to the ECOWAS Commission President, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, in Abuja.

“This is a Greek gift, therefore, the Commission should beware,” he said.

He insisted that Tinubu’s administration in one breathe persecutes the media with recent NBC’s last warning letter to ARISE Television and on the other hand, it bribes them with generous appointments and paid advertisements as recently corroborated by Ex-Governor Nyesom Wike who is the minister of FCT.

He called on the National Assembly to defend the nation’s constitution, democracy and rule of law by urgently commencing impeachment proceedings against Tinubu over gross violation of the constitution.

He insisted that the National Assembly cannot afford to stay aloof while the nation is crumbling under illegalities and breach of the constitution committed by Tinubu as contained in the sworn deposition by the CSU authorities.

He said: “The National Assembly, like Nero, cannot afford to fiddle while Rome (Nigeria) burns, otherwise they would become guilty of conspiracy of silence and willing accomplices to the unraveling of democracy in Nigeria.

“A breach of the Constitution by a sitting President is an impeachable offence. We are calling on the National Assembly, the Senate and House of Representatives, to wake up and defend the Constitution.

“This is the time for them to uphold the law and constitution of the land. This is the time they must display patriotism irrespective of party affiliation by urgently commencing impeachment proceedings against the President.

“This is not all about party membership. It’s all about sustaining our democracy and ensuring peace, security and development of the country.

“Nigerians expect them to exercise their constitutional powers to do the right thing if they are truly the elected representatives of the people.

“Otherwise, Tinubu’s stay in office will continue to bring national disgrace and embarrassment to Nigerians both home and abroad and equally chase away foreign investors from doing business in Nigeria because no foreign investor will come to Nigeria to invest while it remains under a President tainted with legitimacy.“

He insisted that the President’s forgery saga is already making life difficult and creating hard times for Nigerians abroad who are seeking for jobs as their certificates are now being subjected to thorough scrutiny to ensure they are not fake.

The Bayelsa-born political activist also called on the Supreme Court to handle the Presidential election petition appeal before it with the fear of God and national interest in order to safeguard the nation’s democracy.

He said: “We believe that the Supreme Court must not be biased and must do everything to protect our democracy. The world is watching to see if they will uphold the principles of true justice in the manner they will handle this case of
perjury or lying under oath by Tinubu.”

According to him, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, recently said the judiciary does not base its decisions on sentiment or public opinion in deciding cases but on the constitution.

“Several vitriolic attacks are regularly heaped on the judiciary; it is, however, crystal clear that public opinions, no matter how serious or weighty it might be, cannot override or supersede the constitution of the country which we apply in deciding each case,” the CJN said after swearing in 23 newly-appointed judges of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Frank added: “We now have a clear case of breach of the Constitution by a President who submitted a forged certificate to INEC contrary to Section 137 (1)(j) of the Constitution which stipulates that: ‘A person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if – he has presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission.’

“We expect the CJN and other Supreme Court Justices to courageously uphold the constitution by ensuring that a confirmed lawbreaker is not retained as the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”