Two civil society groups have dragged President Bola Tinubu, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio and seven others before a Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged unlawful removal of Justice Danladi Umar as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). The plaintiffs in the suit are Community Rescue Initiative and Toro Concerned Citizens Relief Foundation as well as an Abuja based lawyer, Comrade Nasir Bala.

Together, they are praying the court to restrain the Clerk of the National Assembly from transmitting to Tinubu, the concurrent resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives which purportedly removed Umar as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal. They are also praying the court to stop the President from giving effect to the resolution of the two chambers of the National Assembly on the grounds that clear provisions of the law, especially the 1999 Constitution, were not followed in the purported removal of the CCT boss.

Among others, the plaintiffs are seeking seven declarative reliefs against the President and the other defendants. The suit marked: FHC/ ABJ/CS/1796/2024, was instituted on behalf of the plaintiffs by Mahmoud M. Maidoki ., A.G Salisu ., Jibrin S. Jibrin Baq., and Abubakar S. Idris Bag. In faulting the action of the National Assembly, the plaintiffs asked the Federal High Court to determine the following: “Whether by virtue of the provisions of Sections 1(1) and (3) , 6(5), 153 (1) (e) & (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) as well as Paragraph 13 (a) (vii) and (b) of the Third Schedule thereof, the purported removal of the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal by the 4th Defendant is illegal, void, unconstitutional and of no effect whatsoever same having been made pursuant to the provisions of section 157 (1) of the 1999 Constitution or any other law for that matter. “Whether by virtue of the provisions of Sections 1(1) and (3) , 6(5), 153 (1) (e) & (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) as well as Paragraph 13 (a) (vii) and (b) of the Third Schedule thereof, the purported concurrence by the 6” Defendant with the decision/resolution of the 4 Defendant purportedly removing the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal taken at 4th Defendant’s plenary of the 20th November 2024 or any other date for that matter which said concurrence was taken at the 6th Defendant’s Plenary of 26th November 2024 is illegal, void, unconstitutional and of no effect whatsoever same having been founded on a faulty legal foundation and in breach/violation of section 22 (3) of the Code of Conduct Bureau & Tribunal Act and paragraph 17 (3) of the 5th Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

“Whether by virtue of the provisions of Paragraph 17 (1) of the 5th Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), Section 20 (1) and (4) of the Code of Conduct Bureau & Tribunal Act and the subsistence of the occupation of the office of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal by Hon. Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar, the purported appointment and subsequent confirmation of the 10th or 11th Defendants into the same office by the 1st and 4th Defendants, respectively, is illegal, void, unconstitutional and of no effect same having been done in clear breach of the applicable provisions of the 1999 Constitution (Supra) and the Code of Conduct and Tribunal Act (Supra).