Lawyer asks court to void Buhari’s appointments

Marcel ‎Dim-Udebuani, an Igbo lawyer, has asked the federal high court in Abuja to declare all the appointments made by President Muhammadu Buhari null and void.

According to Dim-Udebuani, the president violated the federal character principle enshrined in the Nigerian constitution by allegedly favouring a sec‎tion of the country in his appointments.

The plaintiff, in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/ 732/2015, is also seeking the determination of the court on the constitutionality of the 25 appointments made so far, and the alleged alienation of the southeast from key positions.

Dim-Udebuani argues that other zones in the country have representations in government, with the exclusion of only the southeast. He therefore urges the court to immediately reverse the appointments.

The chairman of the federal character commission is joined in the suit as a second defendant.

The suit is one in a series of protests that have accosted the recent appointments of Buhari, who has been roundly criticised for their lopsided nature.

The presidency has already promised to balance the appointments to ensure that no zone is left out.