Secretary of the Northern Leaders and Stakeholders Assembly, Dr Umar Ardo has threatened to sue President Muhammadu Buhari over the June 12 declaration as Democracy day if he did not abide by the constitutional provisions in the award of National honours.
This was contained in a statement issued to newsmen in Kaduna on Sunday and signed by the former aide to the former vice president.
Ardo who is also the former Special Assistant to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar said the president’s action is unconstitutional.
“Pursuant to the powers of the Council of State in section 6(a)(iii) of Part 1 to the Third Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to advise the president on the matter of awarding National Honours, I call on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately convene a meeting of the National Council of State to deliberate and advise him on his decision to award National Honours to the Late Chief MKO Abiola, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe and Chief Gani Fawehinmi before performing the planned investiture ceremony on Tuesday. This is simply to comply with due process of law.
“Driven by the need to determine whether in the president’s decision to confer the said national awards constitutional due process of law had been followed, I telephoned and asked a former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a serving Member of the Council, whether to the best of his knowledge the issue had at any time been raised in any of the meetings of the Council of State and the advice of the said Council sought and obtained, he informed me and I verily believe him that it was never ever raised nor the advice of the Council ever sought or obtained.
‘Therefore to go ahead and perform the investiture ceremony as planned is to indulge in flagrant illegality. Having campaigned on, sworn-in and is on oath to govern this country in accordance with the provisions of the constitution and due process of law, and to defend and protect the said constitution, the president cannot confer national awards on the Late Chief MKO Abiola, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe and Chief Gani Fawehinmi or anyone else without subjecting his decision to the advice of the Council of State as stipulated in the constitution.
To do so, the statement averred is a breach not only of the constitution but also of the oath sworn to by the president. That is unacceptable.
“Consequently, in pursuant of my civil right and obligation as a citizen that I am governed by the provisions of the Constitution, I will institute a court action demanding compliance with the provisions of the constitution in the award of the said National Honours if the government goes ahead with the investiture ceremony without abiding by the due process of law.
“It is important, however, to state here that I have absolutely no objection to the president conferring such national honours to Late Chief MKO Abiola and Chief Gani Fawehinmi, and indeed that they richly deserve such awards and much more, but it is only right to do the right thing rightly.
‘My current call and possible court action are solely motivated by the obligation to vindicate enforce rule of law and constitutionalism in the process of governing this country”. The statement said.
