– Martins Onyishi, ABH Press
The Coalition of the United Political Parties(CUPP) on Thursday says it has filed a suit to challenge the continuous stay in office of some aides of President Muhammadu Buhari who have refused to vacate office without fresh appointments .
CUPP said the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Abba Kyari; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly matters, Senator Ita Enang; and the duo of Buhari’s media aides, Mr. Garba Shehu and Mr. Femi Adesina, are all still parading themselves as occupants of the respective offices even when no formal reappointments had been made by the president.
CUPP made the statement through it’s national spokesman, Imo Ugochinyere on Thursday.
Ugochinyere said Shehu and Adesina are still signing statements and appearing on national television programmes as occupants of the respective positions when their appointments terminated with the first tenure of President Buhari.
“These among other officials of the Presidency are still illegally occupying their former offices without any lawful authority as the President has not made any announcement to the nation that he has appointed or reappointed officers into those positions .
“Section 151 ( 3 ) of the 1999 Constitution as amended clearly provides : Any appointment made pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be at the pleasure of the President and shall cease when the President cease to hold office”.
Stating that Buhari’s first term expired in the midnight of May 28 before he was sworn in again for a second term with fresh oath of office and a new mandate , Ugochinyere argued that all political appointments made in his first term, except statutory ones, had ceased to exist .
“These officers who are parading themselves as officers of the government without formal appointments have violated the Code of Conduct Act which demands that political office holders must declare their assets before commencement of service to the government ( this violation our lawyers are already working on seeking order for prosecution of these officers for carrying out functions of government without declaring their assets )
We therefore warn all the former Presidential aides of President Buhari, from the first term, to stay away from their former offices until and unless they are armed with fresh appointment letters or risk criminal prosecution, and trial for violation of the code of conduct bureau
