Rather than elicit applause or reassure Nigerians of the Federal government’s determination to accelerate decision making thereby fast-tracking the nation’s transformation process, appointments made by President Muhammadu Buhari have continued to polarise the country, as well as deepen ethnic and religious fault lines.
The alleged lopsidedness in appointments last week prompted elder statesmen and leaders of socio-cultural platforms from the South to institute a N50billion law suit against the president.
Joined as co-defendants in the suit are the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Ataba Sani Omolori, and the Federal Character Commission.
In the case filed on their behalf by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the group, led by 16 elders, claim that since the inception of his administration in 2015, Buhari’s appointments have contravened the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the federal character principle.
Some citizens listed in the suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/595/2020, where the plaintiffs further alleged that the southern region had been “deliberately marginalised by the President Buhari government” include, Chief Edwin Clark, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Dr. John Nnia Nwodo, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Alaowei Broderick Bozimo, Mrs. Sarah Doketri, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, and Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd).
In the suit, where they are praying the court to, among other things, determine whether it was not “reckless and adverse to the interest of Nigeria, for President Buhari to obtain a loan facility from the Islamic Development Bank, African Development Bank, the World Bank, China, Japan, and Germany, amounting to $22.7 billion, for infrastructural development, only to allocate the bulk of the fund to the northern region,” the other plaintiffs are Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, Prof. Julie Umukoro, Elder Stephen Bangoji, Alhaji Tijani Babatunde, Mrs. Rose Obuoforibo, Mr. Adakole Ijogi, and Dr. Charles Nwakeaku.
Stakeholders from the South East, yesterday, eulogised southern leaders over the suit as it portrayed them as persons that value civility.
They added that a proper determination of the suit would define the true meaning of federal character as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), which commended the move, which is aimed at whipping the president into line for alleged abuse of federal character principle, regretted that the nation failed to address these and sundry infractions by the Buhari-led administration before they went out of hand.
Dr. Ezeife, a former governor of Anambra State and one of the plaintiffs in the suit, said they initiated the action to salvage the country, which constitution has been roundly disobeyed and implemented to favour a section of the country, against the others, stressing that they would not fold their hands while “injustices” reign.
– Media Report