President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and others have been taken to court over the alleged unlawful removal of Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
Two civil organizations, the Community Rescue Initiative and Toro Concerned Citizens, along with an Abuja-based law firm, have filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, claiming the removal process violated constitutional procedures.
They are seeking to stop the National Assembly’s resolution, which purportedly removed Umar, from being transmitted to President Tinubu for approval.
The plaintiffs argue that the procedure followed by the National Assembly was illegal, citing various sections of the 1999 Constitution and the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
They argue the removal was done without proper legal grounds and without substantiating allegations of misconduct against Umar.
The plaintiffs, represented by lawyers Mahmoud M. Maidoki, A.G. Salisu, Jibrin S. Jibrin Baq., and Abubakar S. Idris Bag, are requesting seven declarations, including a ruling that the removal was unconstitutional.
They also seek a court order halting the president from acting on the National Assembly’s decision and preventing the appointment of a new CCT chairman while Umar’s term is still valid.
The case, which is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1796/2024, has been assigned to Justice James Omotosho, who has directed that the legal processes be served through public notices, including postings at the APC Secretariat and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The court set a hearing date for January 14, 2025.
