The Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Wednesday that the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), acted in contravention of the law when he sent the names of 11 candidates recommended to him by the National Judicial Council for appointment as judges of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

Justice Inyang Ekwo made the pronouncement in a suit filed by an Abuja-based lawyer, Oladimeji Ekengba, contending that the forwarding of the names of the 11 nominees by Buhari to the Senate was in breach of section 256(2) of the Nigerian Constitution.


Buhari had, without explanation, picked 11 names from among the 33 recommended to him in April this year by the NJC for appointment as FCT High Court judges.

He forwarded the 11 names to the Senate for screening, but the upper legislative chamber had declined to act on the President’s list having admitted that it had no role to play in the appointment of FCT judges.

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The 11 judges have since been sworn in by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad.

Aside from faulting the sending of the names of 11 of the candidates to the Senate, Ekengba, in his suit, also contended that the President lacked the power to pick and choose whom among the candidates to appoint as judges recommended by the NJC.

He sought among other prayers, an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Senate from screening and confirming the candidates as judges of the FCT High Court.


In his judgment on Wednesday, Justice Inyag Ekwo agreed with the plaintiff that Buhari acted in contravention of the provision of Section 256(2) of the Constitution by forwarding the 11 names to the Senate.


The judge also agreed with the plaintiff that only the appointment of a head of court, like the Chief Judge, required Senate confirmation.

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He, however, ruled that the contravention of the law by Buhari did not affect the judges’ inauguration.


The suit had the Senate and the Senate President joined as the 3rd and 4th defendants respectively.

Also joined as defendants are Buhari, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, the Clerk of the Senate, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, and the National Judicial Council, as the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, and 7th defendants, respectively.

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Nah eh! No qualms
This is so unsophisticated

Buh how true

And Since d court knws that it is corrupted, it cldn't stand up 4 its rights

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How is it a surprise for somebody who is clueless of the law ....
Isn't it funny that a man who has no secondary school education , is appointing people who spent years in law school !!
Life is sooooo unbalanced !!

GMB is a serial law breaker

Na today? man is nepotistic in nature.

Shouldn't the Attorney General have advised him properly?

What about the CJN that sworn in the said judges, is he bereft of the laws too?

Olodo Tanko thought Buhari is the Khalifar Governor of Abuja so the Sharia goat sent him a list of Islamic Qadris to appoint as Sharia judges to FCT High Courts.

This is what happens when you elevate stupid illitrates to positions that they ought to never ever come close to.

LibertyRep:
Shouldn't the Attorney General have advised him properly?

What about the CJN that sworn in the said judges, is he bereft of the laws too?

Tanko that was drafted from Sharia Appeal Court into Supreme Court and then made CJN?

ShinnBet:


Tanko that was drafted from Sharia Appeal Court into Supreme Court and then made CJN?

ShinnBet:
Olodo Tanko thought Buhari is the Khalifar Governor of Abuja so the Sharia goat sent him a list of Islamic Qadris to appoint as Sharia judges to FCT High Courts.

This is what happens when you elevate stupid illitrates to positions that they ought to never ever come close to.

They're talking about judges, you're abusing Islam. If Muslims attack your religion, you will begin to shout like China phone.

Very unfortunate

Next time try & take the pains of editing before posting.

Thanks!!!