Court To Rule On Nyako’s Deputy Resignation Today, To Be Declared Governor If Court Rules In His Favour

Judgment is expected to be delivered today in the suit former Deputy Governor of Adamawa state, Bala Ngilari. The judgement is to be delivered by Justice Ademola Adeniyi.

Ngilari had prayed the court to install him as governor, given his claim that he was improperly passed over for the position.

In his claim articulated before Justice Adeniyi by his lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, Ngilari had submitted that by virtue of section 191 (1) of the 1999 Constitution that after the impeachment of Governor Murtala Nyako, that he, Ngilari being the next in the line of succession should have been inaugurated as governor.

Ngilari had relied on section 306 (1), (2) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), that his resignation from office as deputy governor could only be addressed to the substantive governor at that time who he claimed was Nyako and thus the assertion of the state House of Assembly that he addressed the letter to the Speaker of the House is untenable.

Former Governor, Nyako also submitted through his counsel that he never accepted the purported resignation of Ngilari.

Should the court rule in faovour of Ngilari, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which has scheduled a by-election to fill the vacancy of substantive governor would have to automatically call off the bye-election