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The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Pauline Tallen, has been dragged to court by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over alleged disparaging comment on a court judgment.
The Guardian reports that a statement by the association’s National Publicity Secretary, Akorede Habeeb Lawal, said the suit was filed on December 14, 2022, following her public comment made in respect of the judgment of the Federal High Court in a suit marked FHC/YL/12/2022, between Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) among others.
In the suit before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the NBA is praying for a declaration that the defendant’s (Pauline Tallen) statement, to wit, “the ruling that sacked Aishatu Binani, the only female governorship candidate in the country, is a kangaroo judgment that should be rejected by well-meaning Nigerians. The court is declaring that the party has no candidate. This is unacceptable. It is like a kangaroo judgment, but we will not give up” – in reference to a judgment of the Federal High Court is unconstitutional, careless, reckless, disparaging, a call to disobey the judgment of court, and, therefore, contemptuous of the Federal High Court of Nigeria.
“A declaration that by virtue of the aforesaid statement of the defendant referring to the judgment of the court as ‘kangaroo’, the defendant is, thereby, unfit to hold or continue to hold the office of Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development of the Federal Government of Nigeria or any public office of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“A declaration that by virtue of the defendant being a public officer and Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who swore to uphold and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, her statements inciting the public against the judgment of the Federal High Court is a flagrant breach of her oath of office and disregard to the provisions of the said Constitution, particularly Section 287 (3) of the 1999 Constitution thereof.
“An order directing and compelling the defendant to, forthwith, publish a personally signed apology letter to Nigerians and the judiciary on a full page of The Guardian and Punch newspapers, respectively.