A former counsel for ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, has asked an Abuja Federal High Court to stop the Federal Government from going ahead with the national conference scheduled to commence in the Federal Capital Territory this month.In the suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/167/204 and dated March 3, 2014, Abayomi argued that President Goodluck Jonathan did not possess the power to convoke or convene a national conference without authorising legislation from the National Assembly.
The lawyer asked the court to determine whether a national conference could be convened by the President and/or Federal Government of Nigeria without a law made by the National Assembly enabling them to do so.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives are listed as the defendants in the suit.
In an affidavit deposed to by one Mr. Patrick Bisong, a litigation clerk in Abayomi’s office, the lawyer averred that the Federal Government had planned “to spend billions of public money to fund the conference despite the absence of any law enabling the President to convoke the conference.”
The plaintiff therefore asked the court to restrain the Federal Government from going ahead with the conference.
According to him, if the defendants are not stopped from going ahead with the national conference, “billions of taxpayers’ money will be spent unconstitutionally.”
Noting that “the President is working with deliberate speed to convene the conference,” the plaintiff urged the court to give the suit urgent attention.
The suit is yet to be assigned a hearing date.
Abayomi is a Lagos-based lawyer and human rights activist. He was counsel to Obasanjo during his arrest and detention by late dictator, Sani Abacha, in 1995.
In a statement on Monday, the Federal Government, through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, announced a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, retired Justice Idris Kutigi, as the chairman of the national conference, while Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi and Dr. Valerie Azinge would serve as vice chairman and secretary respectively.
Jonathan had said that the outcome of the national conference would be sent to the National Assembly as part of the ongoing constitution amendment programme.
Already, the Federal Government had announced that 492 delegates drawn from various interest groups in the country would participate in the event.
Dr. Tunji Abayomi
(From Biafra Galaxy)
Dr. Tunji Abayomi
(From Biafra Galaxy)
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