A suit has been instituted by an advocacy group at a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja against President Muhammadu Buhari and 3 others over the extension of tenure of office of 7 retiring Permanent Secretaries.
A human rights group, the Registered Trustees of Advocacy for Human rights and equal Opportunity (AHREO) in an Originating summons with No FHC/ABJ/CS/1427/2019 filed by their counsel, Danshitta Shittu Saheed joined the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and Attorney General of the Federation as Defendants.
Some of the affected ministries are; Ministry of Interior, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and General Services Office in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
AHREO is praying the court to among other prayers declare that by virtue Section 171 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), President Buhari has no power or discretion to elongate or extend the term of office of the 7 retiring Permanent Secretaries.
AHREO is equally asking the court to declare that the act of President Buhari by extending the tenure of the retiring Permanent Secretaries is ultra-vires, null and void, illegal and of no consequence.
A further declaration that the continuance being in office of the retiring Permanent Secretaries from the date they are due for retirement is illegal, unconstitutional and is against the spirit and later of Section 8 of Chapter 2, Rule 020810 of the Public Service Rules, 2008.
Also, a declaration that all acts or functions performed by the retiring Permanent Secretaries from the dates of their respective retirement be declares illegal, null and void.
The group has asked the court for an injunctionrestraining the retiring Permanent Secretaries from performing any act or functions of their respective offices.
Meanwhile, the case is yet to be assigned to a Judge as at the time of filing this report.
