New
Supreme Court of Nigeria Removes
Five State Governors
The Supreme Court ruled today to remove five powerful state
governors from office because their tenures should have expired
last year, replacing them with the speakers of the house of
assembly from the respective states.
The governors of Nigeria's 36 states are among the most powerful
politicians in Africa's most populous nation, in some cases
controlling budgets larger than other African countries.
The governors of Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Kogi, Adamawa and Sokoto
all came into office in May 2007 but their four-year tenures
were terminated by election tribunals because of
"irregularities". Fresh elections were conducted the following
year, which they all won again.
They won a court order last year which allowed them to run for
re-election in 2012 because they argued that their official
four-year tenure did not begin until the re-run in 2008.
But this legal victory was challenged by the Independent
National Electoral Commission with the Supreme Court, which
ruled on Friday that the governors' time in office ended in May
2011.
"To allow the governors seeking tenure elongation will allow a
culture of impunity in the system," Justice Walter Onnughen told
the governor's lawyers and public crowds in the gallery. He said
it was a unanimous decision by the seven judges.
"Their tenure started from the day their first oath of office
was administered ... no person can remain in office more than
the four years provided for by the constitution," Onnughen said.
Governorship elections are due to take place in the five states
on different dates this year and the current governors could run
again for a second and final term. None were immediately
available following the hearing.
|
