- President Tinubu urges the Federal High Court to dismiss a lawsuit compelling the National Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against him
- The lawsuit claims Tinubu’s government suppressed peaceful protests, but the president argues the plaintiff lacks legal standing and proper cause of action
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to compel the National Assembly to begin impeachment proceedings against him.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1334/2024, was filed by lawyer Olukoya Ogungbeje. It names the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, as the second defendant.
Ogungbeje claims that Tinubu’s government suppressed peaceful protests between August 1 and 10, 2024, violating citizens’ rights and constituting an impeachable offense. He argues that Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution empowers the National Assembly to begin impeachment proceedings.
However, in a preliminary objection, Tinubu and the AGF challenged the plaintiff’s legal standing. They argued that the suit is incompetent and lacks a valid cause of action.
Their legal team, led by Sanusi Musa, SAN, also questioned the court’s jurisdiction, stating that the suit was not filed through the proper legal process. They noted that Ogungbeje acted on behalf of unidentified individuals, failing to show that his rights were violated.
According to the defense, Section 46 of the Constitution allows only affected individuals to seek redress in court. A counter affidavit, signed by Principal State Counsel Gbemga Oladimeji, argued that Tinubu’s administration has upheld democratic principles, allowing citizens to protest peacefully.
On Monday, Justice James Omotosho adjourned the case to March 4, allowing the plaintiff’s lawyer, Stanley Okonmah, to respond to the objections raised by Tinubu and the AGF.
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