Lawyer asks court to halt national conference
The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/ 167/204 and dated 3 March, 2014, argued that President Goodluck Jonathan has no constitutional power to convoke or convene a National Conference without the express backing of a law ratified by the National Assembly.
Attorney-General of the Federation, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives were joined as defendants in the suit are.
The plaintiff asked the court to determine whether a National Conference can be convened by the President and/or government of Nigeria without a law made by the National Assembly enabling them to do so.
He further alleged that the federal government has already concluded plans to spend billions of public money to fund the conference despite the absence of any law enabling the President to convoke the conference and notwithstanding the limited power invested in the President to use money to execute law or any legally authorized national idea.
Consequently, he prayed the court to restrain the federal government from going ahead with the conference, noting that if not restrained, billions of tax payers’ money will be spent unconstitutionally by the government under the guise of organizing a national conference.
Dr Abayomi also told the court that the President was working with “deliberate speed” to convene the conference, a move he said ought to be subjected to an intense judicial scrutiny.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the matter.
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