Suspension: Sanusi Lamido Discontinues Suit Against Jonathan

The erstwhile Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has discontinued the suit filed against the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Inspector General of Police essentially challenging his suspension from office as CBN Governor by the President on February 20, 2014. The Plaintiff had by a Notice of Discontinuance dated July 1, 2014, and filed same day discontinued the suit against all the defendants in the matter.

The former CBN Governor had in a suit filed against the Defendants at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja challenged his suspension as the CBN Governor. In a Preliminary Object filed by Learned Counsel to the President, Dr. Fabian Ajogwu, SAN and learned Counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN prayed the Court to decline Jurisdiction on the suit since the suit as constituted is Labour related and as such, the National Industrial Court is the appropriate Court to hear the suit. Counsel to Mallam Sanusi, Mr. Kola Awodein SAN’s argument that the Federal High Court has Jurisdiction was rejected by the Court as the Learned Judge declined Jurisdiction to hear the suit and transferred it to the National Industrial Court.

However, since the Federal High Court transferred the suit to the National Industrial Court instead of striking the matter out, the President as well as the Attorney General of the Federation filed separate Notices of Appeal partly challenging the judgement of the Federal High Court. Mallam Sanusi’s Counsel had also filed a Notice of Appeal on 20 grounds, challenging the Judgment of the Federal High Court.

The decision of the Plaintiff, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi who was recently crowned Emir of Kano to discontinue the suit will come as a surprise to many. The Plaintiff had by a Notice of Discontinuance dated July 1, 2014 and filed the same day discontinued the suit against all the defendants in the matter. The expectations of a host of people who had looked forward to legal fireworks between Sanusi and the President will be left disappointed by the decision of the Emir to discontinue the suit.