An Abuja Federal High Court has struck out a suit instituted against President Muhammadu Buhari, challenging an alleged lopsidedness in appointments into the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, while delivering judgment in the suit instituted by an NDDC stakeholder, Rita Ogbebor, said the plaintiff has no legal rights to have instituted the case.
The trial judge also held that section 2 of the NDDC Act 2000 was specific that any legal action on any infraction in matters relating to NDDC can only be instituted by corporate persons and not individuals like the plaintiff.
Also Read:President Buhari nominates Lauretta Onochie as chairman board of NDDC
Other defendants in the suit are the NDDC, Nigerian Senate, Pius Odubu, Olorogun Okumagba and the Attorney General of the Federation.
Ogbebor had prayed the court to invoke Sections 4 and 12 of the NDDC Act to order President Buhari to appoint an indigene of an oil-producing areas as Chairman, in specific compliance with section 4.
The plaintiff also prayed for another order compelling Buhari to appoint a Itsekiri indigene from Delta State as the Managing Director of the Commission.
The defendants filed a preliminary objections, challenging the legal right of the plaintiff to have instituted the action.
They averred that section 2 of the NDDC act is so specific that only corporate persons can institute action where infractions occur.
Justice Ekwo upheld the preliminary objection of the defendants.
(Editor: Oloyede Oworu)
