By Taiye Odewale
Abuja
A legal practitioner from Kogi state, Barrister Daniel Makolo, yesterday declared that both the Presidency and the Senate erred in law on recent appointment and confirmation of a new federal minister from Kogi state.
Makolo said was in view of litigation on the subject matter pending in the court of Appeal Benue Judicial Division, Makurdi.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, , he averred that the “overdue appointment shouldn’t have been carried out by President Muhammadu Buhari and confirmed by the Senate when a court of competent jurisdiction was already hearing a case on it, which in legal parlance is described as subjudice.
“The issues before the court need to be allowed to run its full course without any backhand interference as done by the nomination of the minister to represent Kogi state. We should learn to subject all our actions and inactions before our courts”.
Makolo, who lost to the Presidency in December last year, in his suit for not appointing a minister from the state as a member of the federal cabinet, argued that since an appeal over the judgment given by Justice Ayua Phoebe of the Federal High Court Lokoja was already being heard at the Court of Appeal Benue Division, Makurdi, it was a gross constitutional disorder on the parts of both the Presidency and the Senate to carry out action on appointment and confirmation of a minister from Kogi state.
He explained that he was not against the appointment of Professor Stephen Ocheni as a federal Minister from the State nor Suleiman Hassan from Gombe State but in line with respect for the rule of law and in particular, separation of power, both the President and the Senate supposed to have allowed the appeal court to give its ruling on the suit before it as far as that of Kogi state is concerned, more so, when the two parties are aware of the suit.
