Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy Senate President, has expressed that Mai Mala Buni, governor of Yobe, can remain as chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caretaker committee despite contrary positions.
The supreme court had in a split judgment on Wednesday, affirmed the election of Rotimi Akeredolu as Ondo governor.
Reacting to the ruling, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the dissenting judgment by three other justices in the seven-member panel vindicates their position that Akeredolu’s election is a nullity.
The opposition party stated that the judgment did not address the action of Buni, who is functioning as the caretaker chairman of the APC, which according to the PDP is against the provision of section 183 of the 1999 constitution (as amended).
Also reacting to the development, Minister of state for labour and employment, Festus Keyamo asked the party to immediately suspend the planned congress as it will be an exercise in futility.
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He said this is to avoid legal battles since the competence of Buni to hold the position as chairman has been questioned by the supreme court.
However, Omo-Agege via a Facebook post on Thursday, stated that the apex court’s judgment is of no effect to the party’s caretaker committee.
Omo-Agege who is also a lawyer said: “Mischief makers for obviously nefarious intentions, resort to misinterpret the said judgment vis-a-vis the purport of section 183 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as it affects the APC congresses scheduled for Saturday.”
He said the above-stated section of the constitution “only bars a governor from holding executive positions like being a minister, or any other executive positions for which he shall be paid for”.
“It does not by any scintilla of imagination, render the appointment of governor Buni as APC caretaker committee chairman incompetent and will not in any way, affect the legality or competence of the APC scheduled congresses.
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“The appeal was dismissed on the ground of competence or lack thereof for the non-joinder of a necessary party to the suit at the lower court,” Omo-Agege said.
“Even if the apex court had considered the provisions of Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution, the majority panel would still have dismissed the appeal.”
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