The Federal High Court has been urged to nullify the major appointments made by President Muhammadu Buhari on the grounds that they were made in breach of the principle of the Federal Character as contained in the Constitution.
The request was filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, by the Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International and Igbo Youths Democrats, through their lawyer, Marcel Dim-Udebuani.
Defendants in the suit are the President, the National Assembly, Attorney-General of the Federation and the Chairman, Federal Character Commission (FCC).
It is the plaintiffs’ contention that the 25 appointments so far made by the President were in breach of the spirit of the Federal Character principle, as contained in Section 14 (3) of the Constitution.
They argued that the exclusion of the Southeast was not in tandem with the Federal Character principle.
The groups argued that Nigeria is a country for all the citizens, the Southeast inclusive, and that the FCC was a creation of the Constitution.
They contended that while the Northeast, Northwest, Northcentral, Southwest and Southsouth have been represented, the Southeast has no place in the appointments made so far.
The plaintiffs, in a supporting affidavit, said the President swore to defend and protect the Constitution, arguing that it would be “in the interest of justice and promotion of rule of law that the lopsided appointments be discouraged by granting all the prayers before the court.
They therefore urges the Court to compel President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse the appointments and comply with the principle of Federal Character, as enshrined in the Constitution.
They equally seek:
*An order of this court compelling the 2nd defendant (FCC) to invoke paragraph 8 (1) (C) of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
*An order of court declaring all the appointments so far made null and void for violation of the principle of Federal Character enshrined in our constitution aforesaid.”
The suit, filed yesterday, is yet to be assigned for hearing.