Human Rights Violations: Tinubu Tells Court 'You Have no Power to Order My Impeachment'

Israel Adeleke 

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that Bola Tinubu has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a lawsuit seeking the National Assembly to begin impeachment proceedings against him over alleged human rights violations.

OTN News further reports that the lawsuit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1334/2024, which was brought before the court by a legal practitioner, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, alleged that the government had, between August 1 and 10, 2024, violently clamped down on peaceful protesters across the federation, an action he argued constituted misconduct and a ground for Tinubu’s impeachment from office.

Furthermore, the plaintiff maintained that section 143 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, empowered the NASS to set machinery in motion for President Tinubu’s impeachment.

However, in a joint preliminary objection filed by both Tinubu and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) against the suit, queried the locus standi (legal right) of the plaintiff to institute the action.

President Tinubu and the AGF who gave 18 reasons why the case should be terminated, argued that the plaintiff filed the action on behalf of faceless citizens, noting that he did not disclose the persons whose rights were allegedly violated.

Furthermore, the defendants argued that by the provision of Section 46 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, only the person whose right was breached has the right to file an action before the court to seek redress.

According to the defendants, “Pursuant to the provision of Section 46 (3), the Chief Justice of Nigeria has {brought into being the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009, which makes ample provision of the procedure to follow in filing an action with respect to a breach of the Fundamental Rights of any Nigerian.”

They argued that the plaintiff’s questions two and three for determination were in respect of the alleged breach of the 1999 Constitution by the 1st defendant (Tinubu) vis-a-vis Section 143 of the said constitution.

The defendants maintained that the plaintiff failed to disclose any of his rights that were breached.

However, Justice James Omotosho, adjourned the case till March 4 to enable the counsel representing the plaintiff, Mr. Stanley Okonmah, to respond to the preliminary objection by Tinubu and the AGF.