Court refuses to grant application stopping ministers inauguration

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday refused to grant a request stopping President Muhammadu Buhari from inaugurating the 43 ministerial nominees over the exclusion of an FCT indigene from his cabinet list.

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

In suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/878/19, Baba-panya, who is also an indigene of Karu in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said the President’s action is contrary to an Appeal Court judgment delivered on March 15, 2018.

President Buhari is the first defendant while the attorney general of the federation is the second defendant in the case.

Our correspondent reports that President Buhari would be inaugurating the 43 ministers-designate confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday at the Federal Executive Council chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Baba-panya, who argued that the Appeal Court ruling is a compelling order, said it was served on the President through the attorney general of the federation.

The lawyer, in an originating summon dated August 7 and filed August 8, said that “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.”

Justice Taiwo Taiwo however, noted that the suit is coming rather too late and therefore, there might be no reason to stop the inauguration.