Court strikes out suit against Buhari, others over NDDC board appointments

• Published date: 19 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

AFederal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit brought against President Muhammadu Buhari and some others to challenge the recent constitution of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The plaintiff, Mrs. Rita Lori Ogbebor, who claimed to be a stakeholder from the Itsekiri extraction, alleged in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1069/2019 that the appointment was lopsided.

In a judgment on Thursday, Justice Inyang Ekwo struck the suit on the grounds that the plaintiff lacked the locus standi to approach the court on the issue raised.

Justice Ekwo, who upheld the objection raised by the defendants, held that the provision of Section 2 of the NDDC Act 2000 is specific that any suit on any infraction in matters relating to NDDC can only be instituted by corporate persons and not individuals like the plaintiff.

The Judge further held that the law was clear that the power to file any case to challenge infractions in the NDDC can not be delegated by proxy to anybody.

Justice Ekwo added that if those empowered by the law to challenge infractions in the NDDC appointments refuse or neglect to act, then they do not consider it a material infraction or infraction at all.

'The consequence of...