Lawyer Sues Buhari Over Non-inclusion Of Southeast In Appointments

The hue and cry over President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointments so far has taken a fresh dimension with a lawyer asking a Federal High Court to order the President to nullify the appointments.

The lawyer, Marcel Dim-Udebuani, in suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/732/2015, before the Federal High Court,Abuja, accused Buhari of allegedly breaching Nigeria’s federal character principle in his appointment of persons into key positions under his administration.

Dim-Udebuani joined the Chairman of the Federal Character Commission as the co-defendant.

He anchored his suit on the grounds “that the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a country for all the citizens, South-East inclusive.”

The lawyer hails from Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

He contended that the 25 appointments made so far by the President were in breach of the spirit of federal character enshrined in section 14 (3) of 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The President's last set of appointments announced last week has drawn strong criticism from many Nigerians, who accused the President of appointing mainly people from the Northern part of the country.

Buhari is from Katsina State in the North-West geo-political zone of the country.

Buhari had on August 27 approved the appointment of Babachir David Lawal from Adamawa State as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

He also named Mr. Abba Kyari from Borno state as his Chief of Staff.

Other appointments approved by the President included those of Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retd.) as the new Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service; Mr. Kure Martin Abeshi, Comptroller-General, Nigerian Immigration Service; Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate); and Suleiman Kawu as SSA on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives).

Both Ali and Kawu are from Kano State and Abeshi is from Nasarawa. Enang from Akwa Ibom State is the only southerner among the new appointees.

So far, no person from the South-East zone has been appointed into any position by the Buhari administration.

The plaintiff in the fresh suit prayed the court to reverse all the appointments the President had made so far.

Part of the questions he raised before the court include, “whether the total of the 25 appointments made so far by the 1st defendant (Buhari) is not against the spirit of Section 14 (3) of 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Whether the exclusion of South-East geo-political zone in the 25 appointments made so far by the 1st defendant is unconstitutional and divisive among others.”

The lawyer is therefore asking the court for an order compelling the Buhari “to reverse the appointments so far made to observe and comply with the principle of Federal Character as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”

He argued that it would be “in the best interest of justice and promotion of rule of law that the alleged lopsided appointments should be discouraged by granting all the prayers before the court”.

No date has been fixed for the hearing.

-Punch Extract

Wouldnt it be better to wait until the President finishes appointing and then re-count?#Justsaying.