On Monday, President Bola Tinubu requested the Federal High Court in Abuja to reject a lawsuit brought by attorney Olukoya Ogungbeje, who wants to remove Tinubu from office for allegedly failing to handle the nationwide #Hunger protests from August 1–10, 2024.
The President contended that Ogungbeje, the plaintiff, had not shown a legitimate cause of action in a joint preliminary objection submitted to Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Attorney General of the Federation.
The two further argued that Ogungbeje did not have the legal authority to file the lawsuit.
Ogungbeje filed the lawsuit on September 4, 2024, alleging six reliefs, including “an order compelling the National Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Tinubu over alleged violations of fundamental rights related to the #Hunger protests in August 2024.” The suit was filed under the filing number FHC/ABJ/CS/1334/2024.
According to Ogungbeje, President Tinubu committed egregious misconduct during the protests, which took place from August 1 to August 10, 2024, and called for his impeachment.
He maintained that the National Assembly has the authority to start such procedures under Section 143 of the Nigerian Constitution.
In response, Tinubu’s legal team argued that Ogungbeje’s suit was without jurisdiction and merit, and they urged the court to reject it.
They contended that Ogungbeje had not demonstrated how the President’s actions had infringed upon his fundamental rights or offered proof of any illegalities in the way the protests were handled.
The lawsuit arose from protests against Nigeria’s deteriorating hunger crisis, during which protesters charged that the government was ignoring the country’s rising food insecurity problem.
But according to President Tinubu’s government, the protests were controlled amicably, within the law, and with the required security measures in place to keep the protesters safe.
According to the AGF’s counter-affidavit, President Tinubu has continuously respected democratic values, such as permitting nonviolent protests, and has taken action to guarantee the defense of citizens’ rights.
The affidavit states that the President’s oath of office was not broken and that the impeachment claim is baseless.
Stanley Okonmah, Ogungbeje’s attorney, asked for an adjournment during the hearing on Monday so that the defendants’ objections could be adequately addressed.
Justice James Omotosho approved the request and set the next hearing date for March 4, 2025.
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