Court strikes out application seeking to restrain Buhari from swearing-in ministers

Court strikes out application seeking to restrain Buhari from swearing-in ministers

The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out an application for an interim injunction seeking to restrain President Muhammadu Buhari from swearing in his ministers.

The applicant who is an indigene of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has approached the court to stop President Buhari from swearing in his Ministers as none of the minister-nominees hails from the FCT.

The presiding judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo struck out the application because it’s coming very late.

He said such application should have come up earlier before the screening was done.

Recall that Mr Musa Baba-panya, who was also the counsel in the case, had on Thursday approached the court with an ex-parte motion, asking it to stop President Buhari from going ahead with the inauguration.

Baba-panya, who is also an indigene of Karu in the FCT, said the President’s action was contrary to an Appeal Court judgment delivered on March 15, 2018.

President Buhari is the 1st defendant, while the Attorney General of the Federation is the 2nd defendant in the case.

The lawyer in his suit, said, “The 43 confirmed ministerial appointees now awaiting swearing-in or inauguration as the Federal Executive Council is incomplete, illegal, unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

“The 1st defendant stands in contempt of law and court for his brazen refusal to comply with the tenor of the Abuja Division of Court of Appeal judgment of 15/1/2018 compelling him to the immediate and forthwith appointment off an indigene of FCT, Abuja, as minister of the federation.

“Allowing the President to go on with his decision would mean that he is going to constitute an illegal cabinet.”

Justice Taiwo Taiwo ordered that the suit should commence during the vacation period of the court.