Executive Order: 24 SANs battle at Supreme Court

Fireworks is underway at the Supreme Court as 22 SANs descended on the apex court to thrash out the constitutionality of the Executive Order 10 President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari passed the order granting autonomy to state judiciaries and legislatures across the nation.

Governors have objected to the order.

The senior lawyers got in court as early as 8 am on the invitation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, as amicus curies (friends of the court) to make submissions that will guide the court in making a decision on the issue.

The amicus curies led by two former presidents of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, chiefs Adegboyega Awomolo and Olisa Agbakoba, are billed to argue on the legality or otherwise of the Executive Order.

Plaintiffs are the 36 Attorneys-General of the 36 states of the federation being led by the Attorney General of Abia state while the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, is the defendant.

Lead counsel to the plaintiffs is a former President of the NBA and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Augustine Alegeh, while the AGF is having Tijani Gazali, SAN as his lead counsel.

But the Supreme Court is still dawdling in consituting the seven-man panel of justice to take the recommendations.