Senior Lawyer, Akubo Declines Appointment To Tinubu’s Legal Team

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Pius Akubo, has reportedly declined an appointment to be part of President-elect Bola Tinubu’s legal team, which was expected to defend his controversial win in the February 25 presidential election.

According to reports, the appointment of the legal team was made after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party challenged Tinubu’s victory in court. However, Akubo said he was unaware of the appointment and had no prior knowledge of it. He added that even if he had been approached, he would have declined for personal reasons.

In a statement, Akubo said, “In the last twenty-four (24) hours or so, the social media space has been agog with a trending unsigned letter in respect of appointment of Presidential Election Petition Legal Team by All Progressives Congress (APC) wherein my name is listed as number 10. With all due respect, I wish to state that I had no prior knowledge of the said appointment. As a matter of fact, I have not received any official communication on the subject matter hitherto. Suffice it to say that I was taken by surprise to hear of the said appointment via social media.”

Akubo went on to say that he could not defend the former Lagos governor for personal reasons even if he had been approached. “In the circumstance and for personal reasons, I hereby decline the said appointment,” he added.

It should be noted that Akubo is number 10 on the list of 13 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) appointed by the ruling party for the presidential and national assembly elections. The PDP and the Labour Party are seeking to contest Tinubu’s victory in court, and the legal battle could last for several months.

Tinubu is a prominent politician and former governor of Lagos State who has been touted as a potential presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 elections. The controversy surrounding his victory in the February 25 presidential election has only added to the speculation about his political future.

The appointment of Akubo and other senior lawyers to Tinubu’s legal team was seen as a strategic move to defend his victory and to bolster his chances in the upcoming elections. However, with Akubo’s refusal to be part of the team, the ruling party may have to look for other lawyers to defend Tinubu’s win.

The Nigerian political landscape is known for its intense legal battles, and the upcoming legal challenge to Tinubu’s victory is expected to be closely watched by political analysts and observers.