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Court dismisses suit challenging executive appointment by President Tinubu

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja, has dismissed a suit seeking to quash the appointments of the current Managing Director and Executive Directors of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by President Bola Tinubu.

Justice Omotosho dismissed the suit for lacking in merit.

The plaintiffs, through their lawyer Okere Nnamdi, urged the court to compel President Tinubu to withdraw the nominations of Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, Boma Iyaye, Victor Antai, and Ifedayo Abegunde as Managing Director and Executive Directors of the NDDC.

They demanded that the President appoint indigenes of oil-producing communities from Imo, Cross River, and Edo States, who they alleged had not previously held these positions, as mandated by Section 12(1) of the NDDC Act.

The applicants argued that appointments to NDDC management positions over the years had allegedly favoured some oil-producing states over others, contravening relevant laws.

They also prayed for a declaration that Sections 4 and 12(1) of the NDDC Establishment Act were compulsory in the appointment of the Commission’s Chairman, Managing Director, and Executive Directors.

According to them, Section 4 mandates that the appointment of the Chairman rotate alphabetically among the nine member states, while Section 12(1) requires that the Managing Director and Executive Directors be indigenes of oil-producing areas based on the quantum of oil production.

Nnamdi urged the court to block what he termed as anomalies in the appointments perpetually.

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