Jonathan says Ngilari should be sworn in

President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the chief judge of Adamawa state to immediately swear in Barrister James Bala Ngilari as the governor of Adamawa State.

According to a statement by Adedeji Ajibade, the chief press secretary to the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, the directive is in obedience to the court judgement and it will avert a vacuum in ‎governance.

INEC was also ordered to put on hold Saturday’s planned bye-election in obedience to the judgement.

“The attention of the office of the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice has been drawn to the judgment of the federal high court Abuja, delivered by Hon. Justice Adeniyi Ademola on October 8, 2014,” read the statement.

“The federal high court by its judgement under reference nullified the swearing in of Ahmadu Umar Fintiri as the acting governor of Adamawa State and declared the resignation of James Bala Ngilari as unconstitutional, null and void.

“In obedience to the judgement of the court and the need to avert a vacuum in ‎governance and possible constitutional crises, the honourable the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, hereby calls on the chief judge of Adamawa state to immediately swear in Barrister James Bala Ngilari as the governor of Adamawa state.

“The chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is also called upon in obedience to the judgement of the federal high court to keep in abeyance all the arrangements made for the conduct of the bye-elections scheduled to take place in Adamawa State on Saturday October 11, 2014.”

The court had directed Ngilari’s swearing-in earlier while removing Fintiri as acting governor after adjudging the ex-deputy governor’s resignation as improperly done, hence null and void.

Deposed Fintiri hasn’t given up, though, and is about now filing his appeal to the judgement.

Earlier, Ngilari’s lawyer, Festus Keyamo, wrote a letter to the president requesting him to direct the president of the Customary Court of Appeal in Adamawa state to immediately perform the swearing-in, “since there is no substantive chief judge and acting chief judge.”