Court Bars Tinubu’s Ministerial Nominee from Holding Public Office? Lawyer Reacts

• Senator Sani Danladi’s lawyer, Ujah Ujah has rubbished the report that his client that Supreme Court disqualified his client from holding public office for 10 years
• Ujah said the reports are “baseless rumours pushed by some unpopular politicians from Taraba state”
• Danladi is among the list of 28 ministerial nominees submitted by President Bola Tinubu to the Senate on Thursday, July 27, for screening and confirmation

Ujah Ujah, a lawyer to Senator Sani Danladi, a ministerial nominee of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has reacted to a report that the supreme court in 2019 disqualified his client from contesting an election or barring him from holding public office for 10 years over an alleged certificate forgery.

Ujah said there is no subsisting court judgement disqualifying Danladi, adding that the reports are “baseless rumours pushed by some unpopular politicians from Taraba state” ThCable reported.

He said this in a statement on Saturday, July 29, stating that Danladi discharged his duties “without any record of blemish whatsoever” while serving in several political offices.

“It is a wanton remark unwittingly made in the absence of any proof or any court judgment indicting Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi in this regard.”

Ujah quoted the supreme court’s judgment of Mary Peter-Odili, JSC (as she then was)

“Learned Senior Counsel for the appellants had sought to lead the court to the earlier situation relating to the cause of action at the trial court by contending that the trial court itself had no jurisdiction to determine the matter in the first place if Section 285 CFRN is applicable since the cause of action arose on 25th October 2018 a point not disputed and the Originating Summons filed on 9th January 2017 which made the action filed 76 days after the accrued cause of action, instead of 14 days provided by Section 285 (9) of the Constitution”.

He explained that based on the aforementioned observation from the supreme court, Danladi applied to the federal high court in Jalingo to set aside its earlier decision because the court lacked the jurisdiction to have entertained the suit in the first place.

The lawyer said the court found merit in Danladi’s case and on October 15, 2021, set aside its earlier decision as being one given without jurisdiction.

Dalandi’s lawyer said dissatisfied with the judgment of the trial court, the PDP appealed against the case and “was equally dismissed by the court of appeal on 23/01/2023”.

He added that:

“Pained with the decision of the court of appeal, PDP further appealed to the supreme court via appeal no: SC/CV/168/2023 between PDP vs INEC & 2 ors. However, the appeal was again dismissed.”

Stella Okotete: Lawyer Urges Senate to disqualify Tinubu’s ministerial nominee, gives reason

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that a human rights lawyer, Oladotun Hassan, has written a petition to the Nigerian Senate, urging the Red Chamber to disqualify, Stella Okotete, a ministerial nominee of President Bola Tinubu.

According to Nigerian Tribune, Hassan said the Senate should disqualify Okotete over alleged massive corruption.

Why Wike, El-Rufai should not be ministers, prominent human rights lawyer reveals

The National Legal Adviser of the African Action Congress (AAC), Inibehe Effiong, said he does not believe former Rivers and Kaduna state governors, Nyesom Wike and Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, should be ministers.

Effiong said a large number of the 28 ministerial nominees of President Bola Tinubu were career politicians and he find the list uninspiring.

Ministerial List: Full List of 28 Nominees President Tinubu Sends to Senate

Legit.ng had reported that President Bola Tinubu finally transmitted the names of 28 nominees for ministerial positions under his cabinet to the Senate on Thursday, July 27.

The list consisted of former governors and members of the leading opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Source: Legit.ng