Supreme Court dismisses suit against Buhari

The Supreme Court, on Monday, struck out an appeal seeking the disqualification of President Muhammadu Buhari as a candidate in the last presidential election.

The case was anchored on the  allegation that Buhari submitted false information regarding his academic qualification and certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission as a candidate in the February 23, 2019 poll.

A five-man panel of the apex court led by Justice Mary Peter-Odili struck out the case after the appeal was withdrawn by the appellants’ lawyer, Ukpai Ukairo, on Monday.

The apex court noted that the suit was statute-barred, affirming the earlier decisions of both the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court.

But before striking out the suit, the court criticised the appearance of Abdullahi Abubakar, a lawyer from the Federal Ministry of Justice, for Buhari.

The members of the panel likened Abubakar’s appearance for Buhari in the President’s private capacity to using public office to defend a private suit.

A member of the apex court’s five-man panel, Justice Dattijo Muhammad, recalled that a former United States of America’s President, Bill Clinton, had to engage private lawyers for his defence in the various private cases involving him  while in office.

Speaking on the matter in her lead judgment, Peter-Odili said, “The court notes the inappropriate appearance of Mr. Abdullahi Abubakar state counsel from the Federal Ministry of Justice, representing the first respondent Gen. Muhammad Buhari (retd) in his personal capacity.

“This practice must be discouraged.”

She went on to dismiss the appeal following its withdrawal by the appellants’ counsel.

– Punch