Constitutional lawyer petitions Obama, asks Buhari to resign

Yesterday, a constitutional lawyer, Carol Ajie, who is also the founder of Change.org, has petitioned the President of the United States, Barrack Obama, over President Muhammadu Buhari’s “disobedience of court orders.”

The petition was pursuant to Buhari's maiden presidential media chat, where the President admitted that the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu were being held against court orders in order for them not to escape. This according to her, is not in accordance with the principle of separation of powers and may lead to unchecked dictatorship.

The petition by Ajie, stated how power was handed over to President Buhari with particular emphasis on the part that he was a former Military Dictator, it reads as follows:

“On May 29th 2015, a former Military Dictator, Muhammadu Buhari, sequel to a contested election in March 2015 against a sitting President in Nigeria, the first time in Africa, an incumbent handed power peaceably, smoothly, heroically to a political rival.

“Whereupon Mr Buhari then took the Oath of Allegiance to protect the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and the President’s Oath of office to discharge his duties faithfully, in accordance with the Constitution and the Laws of Nigeria."

Ajie in petition, stated that President Muhammad Buhari has overtime disrespected court orders and contravened the provisions of the Immigration Act, Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), and the grundnorm which is the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

Quoting the petition by Carol Ajie, “Within President Buhari’s first year in office, too soon after he took the revered Oaths, he and state agents acting under his supervision, now demonstrate total lack of respect for Court Orders and at his maiden media chat on Wednesday 30th Dec., instant, Mr President made puerile attempts to justify these breaches, he said inter alia that some persons his regime locked up in cells dehumanized against court orders, Nnamdi Kanu had travelled without his passports.

“But under the Immigration Act, the President or the Minister may deport anyone who travels without a valid travel document or detain for a period not exceeding 7 days. In holding Mr. Kanu beyond the required period they have infracted on the Immigration Act, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and subsisting court orders.”

Making reference to the Radio Biafra boss, Nnamdi Kanu, she stated that he has been consciously degraded by the Buhari's administration.

“With regard to issues of “self determination”, the crux of Nnamdi Kanu’s campaign of the Independent People of Biafra, IPOB, having communicated IPOB’s intent to all and the United Nations as required by UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ratified by Nigeria, that people of any community or group may wish to exercise the right of self-determination with a view to pursuing their economic, social and cultural development; aware that their dignity as human persons had deteriorated and been consciously degraded under the present dispensation, sadly appearing power inebriate.”

In addition, Carol Ajie urged President Buhari to resign if he is not ready to obey court orders or risk being impeached from office.