Buhari dragged to Court for ‘nepotism’

A lawyer has dragged President Muhammadu Buhari to court for alleged nepotism in his key appointments.

After a careful analysis of appointments so far made by President Muhammadu Buhari since his inauguration in 2015, several groups have said President Buhari’s appointments were lopsided and geared to favour the north.

Recall that one of the militant groups in the Niger Delta, Egbesu United accused President Buhari of bias, citing instances of the President’s appointment of ministers to the heads of parastatals, insisting that northern Nigeria has over seventy five percent of the entire appointments made so far under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

In the suit, the lawyer, Francis Moneke, accused Buhari of favouring the northerners at the expense of the southerners.

Moneke said, “The pattern of appointments of key and strategic security, intelligence and law enforcement office-holders, clearly shows favouritism and nepotism on the part of the 1st respondent (Buhari) in favour of the people from the northern part of the country where he comes from, against me and people from the southern part of the country, especially the South-East, where I come from.

“I am aware that nepotism and tribalism are species of corruption, which jeopardise fairness, objectivity and equity and that when employed as an official strategy in government it compromises inclusivity, effectiveness, efficiency, professionalism, competence, the spirit of national unity and sense of belonging.”

He further argued that the alleged favouritism and nepotism by the president violated his (Moneke’s) fundamental right to freedom from discrimination guaranteed under Section 42 (1) & (2) of the Constitution and Article 2 of the African Charter on Human & Peoples’ Rights (Ratification & Enforcement) Act Cap A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The lawyer prayed that the court to compel the president to act in line with the principle of federal character in his appointment and “change the current skewed structure of top federal security and law enforcement appointees by appointing some candidates from the South-East into such positions.”