Michael Aondoakaa, a former minister of justice and attorney-general of the Federation (AGF), has claimed that despite having dual citizenship, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu did not violate any law or procedure in running for Nigeria’s presidency.
Aondoakaa stated that once a person is a
first-generation Nigerian, he or she cannot be disqualified from running in
elections even if he or she obtains a second citizenship through naturalization
or registration.
During an interview with Arise TV on Tuesday,
the former AGF stated that dual citizenship can only disqualify “a person who
obtains such status by naturalization or registration.”
It would be recalled there were issues raised
concerning Nigeria’s President-elect, Bola Tinubu regarding reports that he
allegedly obtained citizenship of Guinea, a country in West Africa.
Some argue that Tinubu’s dual citizenship
prevents him from running for office in Nigeria because his total allegiance to
Nigeria is not guaranteed.
Citing section 137 (1)(a) of the 1999
constitution that says:
A person shall not be qualified for election
to the office of President if — subject to the provisions of section 28 of this
Constitution, he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a country other
than Nigeria or, except in such cases as may be prescribed by the National
Assembly, he has made a declaration of allegiance to such other country, the antagonists
said Tinubu 2023 presidential election victory should be nullified.
However, speaking on the matter on Tuesday,
Aondoakaa said the only thing that can make such an argument hold water is if
the complainants establish that Tinubu was not a Nigerian by birth before
obtaining dual citizenship.
But assuming it was in the petition, the
position of the law is that a person who has dual citizenship by naturalization
or registration cannot contest for president in Nigeria, the former AGF said.
But a person who is born in Nigeria, and
acquired citizenship in another country, has the right to contest an election.
It would be strange to say that the winner of the election, Tinubu, has the
citizenship of another country. You must prove first that he is not a Nigerian
by birth. That is the first challenge and if you can prove that. Then you can
bring up the issue of acquiring another citizenship.
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