Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the federal high court Abuja, Wednesday dismissed suits seeking the removal of Ibrahim Magu as the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The plaintiffs had sought the removal of the anti-graft agency’s helmsman on the grounds that the Senate had twice rejected his appointment and refused to screen him to take up the position as its chairman since 2015.
Blueprint reports that the Nigerian Senate before the court pronouncement declined to confirm Magu’s appointment as the substantive chairman two times, adducing president Buhari’s failure to lobby the Senate.
While his reign lasted, the immediate former Senate President, Bukola Saraki was quoted as insisting that the “president should have towed the path of political solution after Senate’s rejection of Magu”
But while delivering her judgment, the presiding judge, Ojukwu said the law didn’t state the time frame within which a person could act as EFCC’s chairman.
She said that the lacuna in the law ought not to be exploited to “install” Magu in office in substantive capacity without the Senate confirmation.
Ojukwu held further that “Since the law not stating the time frame the president can make do as he like on the appointment of the EFCC chairman.
