Deji Adeyanju tasks NJC to investigate nullification of Section 84 Electoral Act by a FHC judge in Umuahia

Activist and Convener of Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, has called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to open an investigation into the judgment delivered by a Federal High Court in Umuahia, which nullified Section 84(12) of the newly-amended Electoral Act.

The presiding judge, Justice Evelyn Anyadike, had delivered the judgment on Friday, saying Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act violated the provisions of the Constitution.

Justice Anyadike also ordered the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to delete Subsection 12 of Section 84 from the body of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The section read: “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”

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However, Adeyanju, in his reaction to the court’s judgment in a statement on Saturday, said the “speed at which the suit was filed, processes exchanged and judgment delivered, calls for immediate investigation.”

He further expressed disbelief that “any court of law will direct the Attorney General to delete the provision of a statute that has already been passed into law.”

He stated that “even the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has no power to delete the provision of a statute.”

Adeyanju further stated: “While we recognise the fact that a court of law has the power to strike down any provision of a statute, our initial reaction to the consequential directive allegedly issued by the Court is one of shock and total disbelief. We do not believe that any Court of law will direct the Attorney General to delete the provision of a statute that has already been passed into law.

“Even if the said provision is struck down, the implication is that it will no longer be relied upon as a valid law. But it cannot be deleted. Even the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has no power to delete the provision of a statute. We believe the Honourable Justice Anyadike should ordinarily be conversant with this principle of law. Even an undergraduate law student knows that the executive do not make laws!

“Although we were initially minded to give the Hon. Justice Anyadike the benefit of the doubt, the subsequent statement issued by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation, confirming his intention to obey the court judgment and delete section 84(12) of the Electoral Act has cleared our doubt.

“We are convinced that there is more than meet the eyes with this judgment. The speed at which the suit was filed, processes exchanged and judgment delivered, calls for immediate investigation.

“In the event that there is evidence of collusion in this judgment, all the parties should be immediately sanctioned.

In Oni v Fawehinmi, (2013) LPELR-20671 (SC), the apex Court held thus; “The Court is bound by the Doctrine of Separation of Powers under which the business of lawmaking is in the exclusive domain of the Legislature made up of the Upper and Lower Chambers of the National Assembly.”

According ti the statement: “As noted in Oni’s case and a plethora of other cases, the power to make laws cannot be donated to the executive by judicial fiat! We are totally gobsmacked at the Hon. Justice Anyadike’s judgment, especially with the consequential orders. It is a sad day for the judiciary in Nigeria. Such a pronouncement deserves condemnation from well-meaning Nigerians and a sanction from the National Judicial Council!

“We, therefore, call on the National Judicial Council to immediately open an investigation into this issue.

“As for the Attorney General of the Federation, we must remind him that as the chief law officer of the federation, he has a duty to protect the constitution and not turn it upside down. He must resist all attempt to promote personal interest at the expense of the rule of law.”