The Nigerian Bar Association says Bola Tinubu is the Nigerian president as of today, whether people like it or not, asserting that INEC declaring him the winner of the February 25 presidential poll is “a function of laws.”

“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 recognise the position of the law,” stated NBA president Yakubu Maikyau in an ARISE TV interview aired Sunday night, defending Mr Tinubu’s invitation to give the opening speech at the just-concluded NBA conference.

Mr Maikyau added, “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.

“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the president of this country, and I went to him because I defer to the law, not to the whims and caprices of individuals. This is not a function of anybody’s sentiment or whims and caprices.” 

Mr Maikyau reasoned that “when anything had been declared by a public officer, there is a presumption, rebuttable though, that all that needed to be done, had been so done and that the person who made that declaring has the authority to make the declaration.” 

Then, he asked, “Did the INEC chairman have the authority to make the declaration that he did?” 

“Yes,” said the NBA leader. “When he declared Tinubu as president, there is a presumption that enured in favour of Tinubu as the candidate at that time, now president under the auspices of the APC, that all that needed to be done, that all the requirements that needed to be declared as president has been satisfied.” 

Mr Maikyau further argued, “Who else should I invite? Should I not recognise the provisions of the law? Are we without a president because there is a pending petition? No.” 

Mr Tinubu’s invitation to the NBA conference sparked reactions, with many arguing that it was improper, given that the president’s electoral victory is facing scrutiny at the presidential election petitions tribunal, as Atiku Abubakar (PDP) and Peter Obi (Labour Party) seek the nullification of Mr Tinubu’s victory on several grounds.