Tinubu Makes Demand From Court Over Suit Seeking His Impeachment

• President Bola Tinubu and the AGF have jointly presented 18 objections to a suit seeking to compel the National Assembly to initiate the impeachment process of the president
• Olukoya Ogungbeje, a lawyer, filed the suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, alleging that Tinubu, violated the rights of many Nigerians by clamping on protesters
• Ogungbeje want the court to grant him six principal reliefs, including declaring an alleged resistance to peaceful protests by Tinubu's government as an impeachable offence

President Bola Tinubu has told the Federal High Court in Abuja to throw out a suit seeking to compel the National Assembly to initiate his impeachment proceedings following an allegation of rights violations.

The president requested the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1334/2024 before the Federal High Court and filed by one legal practitioner, Olukoya Ogungbeje.

Why lawyer wants court to impeach Tinubu

Ogungbeje filed the attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, as the second defendant in his suit. He was asking the court to grant him six principal reliefs.

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The lawyer asked the court to declare the alleged resistance of peaceful protests by President Tinubu-led federal government, which some Nigerians have organised, as an offence that amounts to impeachment.

In the suit, the plaintiff alleged that the government, between August 1 and 10 of 2024, illegally clamped down on peaceful protesters in the country. He argued that the action constituted misconduct and should be a ground to impeach President Tinubu.

He stated that Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, empowered the National Assembly to initiate the impeachment process of President Tinubu.

Tinubu defended impeachment suit in court

However, the president and the attorney general, in a joint preliminary objection instituted against the suit, questioned the locus standi of the petitioner to initiate such action.

The president and the AGF not only asked the court to dismiss the suit for locus standi, but they also insisted that the originator failed to mention the reason behind the cause of action to warrant an exercise of judicial discretion in his action.

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Thus, the defendants have urged the court to strike out the suit over the lack of incompetence considering the fact that the initiator of the suit initiated under a wrong procedure.

President Tinubu and the AGF gave 18 reasons why the case should be dismissed. They argued that the plaintiff did not mention the names of Nigerians whose rights have been violated. They said he filed the suit on behalf of faceless citizens.

Tinubu swore in permanent secretaries, commissioners

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu has sworn in eight new permanent secretaries on Monday, February 3. Also, Tinubu administered the oath of office to 21 commissioners of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

The ceremony reportedly took place at the presidential villa in Abuja, shortly before the commencement of the first Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in 2025.

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At the event which was anchored by, Abiodun Oladunjoye, the director of media media to the office of the president, Tinubu administered the oath of office to the permanent secretaries in two batches of four each. Oladunjoye read the citation of the new appointees.

Source: Legit.ng