A suit by the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Yakubu Umar, seeking to stop the Senate from probing him on alleged misconduct has been dismissed by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday
The Court held that as a public officer administering law, he is answerable to the Senate on moral standards.
Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo, in a judgment in the suit, ordered the CCT boss to go and appear before the Senate and answer questions on a public petition brought against him by an aggrieved citizen.
The judge held that his case seeking to stop the probe by the Senate lacked merit and was dismissed.Advertisment
The alleged incident happened at the Banex Plaza in Abuja on March 29, 2021.
The court dismissed Umar’s suit on the grounds that it lacked merit as Umar had no cogent reason to stop the Senate from carrying out its constitutional functions.
Justice Ekwo held that Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 constitution under which the CCT boss sought to be protected by the court did not confer any protection or refuge on him.
The judge said that as a public officer administering a law relating to the conduct of public officers, Umar had no reason to institute the suit to stop the senate from probing a public petition seeking justice.
Justice Ekwo also held that the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal Act 2010 were established by the Act of the National Assembly and as such, Umar was subject to investigation by the National Assembly.
The judge further said that Section 2 of the Code of Conduct Bureau Act exposed Umar to an investigation by the National Assembly more than any other Nigerian.