After 3 years, court dismisses CSO as illegal busybody for disputing Atiku’s citizenship

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, struck out a suit challenging the Nigerian citizenship of a former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of a federal high court in Abuja struck out the suit filed by the incorporated trustees of the Egalitarian Mission for Africa challenging the Nigerian citizenship of the former V.P. Atiku Abubakr the PDP fielded in 2091

The court held that the civil rights organisation, which has a legal practitioner, Kayode Ajulo, as its Executive Director, had no legal right in the first instance to query Atiku’s citizenship.

Justice Ekwo held that the incorporated trustees lacked the locus standi to institute the legal action, describing them as “busy body and meddlesome interlopers”.

According to the judge, having been registered under the Company and Allied Matters Act with special functions, the CSO could not jump into public interest litigation that was not part of its objectives.

He cautioned other organisations to refrain from filing frivolous applications targeted at harassing politically exposed Nigerians.

The group filed the suit on February 11, 2019, against Atiku, the PDP, Independent National Electoral Commission, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as well as the Attorney-General of Adamawa State as defendants.