The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed October 31 to deliver judgment on a suit filed by oil-producing communities in Bayelsa and Delta State against President Bola Tinubu.
The communities approached the court to nullify President Tinubu’s alleged illegal appointment within the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
According to the plaintiffs, President Tinubu’s appointee, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, is unqualified to head the NDDC board as he does not come from “the oil-producing area with the highest quantum of oil production.”
The plaintiffs contended that the appointment breached existing provisions of the NDDC Act and sought the court’s intervention.
In addition to President Tinubu, other defendants in the suit include the Senate President, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the NDDC, and Ebie himself.
The communities informed the court that while the 5th defendant, Ebie, is from an oil-producing community, the oil produced there is insufficient, rendering him unqualified for the position of Chairman of the NDDC board per legal stipulations.
In an affidavit supporting their case, the plaintiffs asserted that Ebie’s appointment was erroneous and violated clear legal provisions.
They argued that the screening and confirmation of Ebie by the Nigerian Senate were also done in error and against the law.
The plaintiffs urged the court to determine whether the 5th defendant, coming from a community with minimal oil production, is qualified to serve as chairman of the NDDC.
Additionally, they questioned whether the appointment of the 5th defendant by the 1st defendant contravenes the NDDC Act.