‘Buhari shouldn’t rejoice yet’ — lawyers react to judgement on executive order

Ikenga Ugochinyere and Keneth Udeze, the lawyers who challenged the validity of the presidential executive order 6 of 2018, say they are heading to the court of appeal to “deal a fatal blow to the attempt to reenact the 1983 inglorious decrees”.

The lawyers had instituted a suit before the federal high court in Abuja to challenge the validity of the executive order signed by President Muhammadu Buhari to restrain owners of assets under probe from carrying out further transactions on such properties.

Ijeoma Ojukwu, a judge of the federal high court, had dismissed the suit for lacking in merit and affirmed that the president has the constitutional powers to issue the order as long as it did not encroach on the principles of separation of powers.

Reacting to the judgement in a statement, the plaintiffs described the ruling as strange and lacking in legal basis, saying it would be easily upturned on appeal.

The statement read: ” Buhari should not rejoice yet, we are heading to the court of appeal to deal a fatal blow to this attempt to reenact the 1983 inglorious decree.

“Plaintiffs have instructed their lawyers to immediately approach the Court of Appeal as well as file an injunction pending appeal in order to restrain the Federal Government from giving effect to the Executive Order 6 pending determination of the Appeal.

“In view of the recondite and constitutional issues of law raised in the Appeal, the Plaintiffs are very confident that the Appeal high probability of success at the appellate court and therefore advises the Federal Government not to celebrate the momentary victory it obtained.”