Ngilari
President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the chief judge of Adamawa state to immediately swear in Barrister James Bala Ngilari as the governor of Adamawa State.
According to a statement by Adedeji Ajibade, the chief press secretary to the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, the directive is in obedience to the court judgement and it will avert a vacuum in governance.
INEC was also ordered to put on hold Saturday’s planned bye-election in obedience to the judgement.
“The attention of the office of the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice has been drawn to the judgment of the federal high court Abuja, delivered by Hon. Justice Adeniyi Ademola on October 8, 2014,” read the statement.
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“The federal high court by its judgement under reference nullified the swearing in of Ahmadu Umar Fintiri as the acting governor of Adamawa State and declared the resignation of James Bala Ngilari as unconstitutional, null and void.
“In obedience to the judgement of the court and the need to avert a vacuum in governance and possible constitutional crises, the honourable the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, hereby calls on the chief judge of Adamawa state to immediately swear in Barrister James Bala Ngilari as the governor of Adamawa state.
“The chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is also called upon in obedience to the judgement of the federal high court to keep in abeyance all the arrangements made for the conduct of the bye-elections scheduled to take place in Adamawa State on Saturday October 11, 2014.”
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The court had directed Ngilari’s swearing-in earlier while removing Fintiri as acting governor after adjudging the ex-deputy governor’s resignation as improperly done, hence null and void.
Deposed Fintiri hasn’t given up, though, and is about now filing his appeal to the judgement.
Earlier, Ngilari’s lawyer, Festus Keyamo, wrote a letter to the president requesting him to direct the president of the Customary Court of Appeal in Adamawa state to immediately perform the swearing-in, “since there is no substantive chief judge and acting chief judge.”
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3 comments
At least for a change (since after Ebola victory), some positive news coming from the land!
For once, let the rule of law, justice and good governance prevail, and those that think that they can always have their way (even by crook) begin to think and see otherwise.
These guys are a bunch of jokers. Neither the President nor his Attorney-General has any power under the Nigerian Constitution or any other law to “direct” or even advise the Chief Judge of any State to swear into office any person as Governor of any State in obedience to a lawful order of court.
The judicial powers of Nigeria are vested in various courts, with the Supreme Court as the ultimate legal authority, and are not subject to the validation of the President or or even the legislature. This is the essence of the separation of powers.
So, Jonathan and Adoke should not make fools of themselves, and arrogate to themselves powers that they do not possess. Enough of such illiteracy and arrogant misuse of power.
Thanks, Scatter. I was about to react to the President’s directive when I read your comment. Honestly, I dont know the type of government we are running. What is the business of the President giving such directives. The minister of justice has no role to play either. This illegality had long been established. The Police do not have to wait for the President to perform their duties for the President himself is not above the law. In other climes, some people would have been chatting with the Police in respect of the 9.3m and 5.7m Dollars arms scam. Here we are today, the Police are docile because there has been no directive from the President. There are dirty noses all over the places. Who does the cleaning?