Former Women Affairs Minister Appeals Ban on Public Office Holding

• Former Minister Pauline Tallen appeals FCT High Court’s judgment barring her from public office, citing 13 grounds for dismissal
• Tallen contests the characterization of her remarks, claims a miscarriage of justice, and seeks to overturn the FCT ruling

Mrs. Pauline Tallen, a former Minister of Women Affairs in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, has taken her case to the Court of Appeal in Abuja, aiming to overturn the judgment of an FCT High Court that barred her from holding public office.

The FCT High Court, under the jurisdiction of Justice Peter Kekemeke, issued the ban on December 18 following a case filed by the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA). The NBA accused Tallen of making “disparaging” remarks about a previous court judgment.

Justice Kekemeke provided Tallen with the option of publishing a personally signed apology letter to the NBA, the judiciary, and Nigerians in two national dailies within 30 days, failing which the order would become perpetual.

In a Notice of Appeal filed on January 2, 2024, Tallen, represented by her lawyer JK Gadzama SAN, outlined 13 grounds of appeal against the trial court’s decision. She urged the appellate court to dismiss the suit and set aside the judgment, arguing that it amounted to a miscarriage of justice.

Tallen contested the trial court’s ruling on her preliminary objection, asserting that the decision against the competence of the respondent’s affidavit, locus standi, propriety of the suit, despite credible evidence, was a miscarriage of justice.

The FCT High Court, in delivering its judgment, characterized Tallen’s alleged comments as “unconstitutional, careless, reckless, disparaging.” It also deemed her call to disobey the court’s judgment as “contemptuous of the Federal High Court of Nigeria.”

The legal dispute arose when Sen Aisha Dahiru (Binani) won the APC governorship flagbearer position in Adamawa, defeating Nuhu Ribadu. Justice Abdulaziz Anka nullified Binani’s victory, citing non-compliance with electoral laws. Tallen, a stalwart of the APC, criticized the judgment, describing it as a “Kangaroo judgment” aimed at marginalizing women in Nigerian politics.

The NBA demanded an apology, which Tallen did not provide, leading to the legal action against her. The appeal process seeks to challenge the high court’s decision and contest the allegations made by the NBA.