A human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack all political appointees or renew their tenure without further delay, stressing that all political appointees have four-year tenure.
Falana said in a statement yesterday that ministers, special advisers and other political appointees were appointed by President Buhari for a four-year term of office in 2015. “Consequently, the tenure of all the political appointees expired on May 29, 2019 by effuxion of time. Hence, the federal cabinet was dissolved while all ministers were relieved of their appointments at the end of the four-year tenure,” the senior lawyer explained. Falana argued that all other political appointees ought to have been asked to relinquish their positions.
Since the president has not sacked them or renew their appointments there has arisen the urgent need to avoid a constitutional crisis whereby the actions of such persons who have continued to occupy offices illegally may be questioned or declared illegal by a court of law,” he explained. Citing Section 151 of the Constitution, Falana added that that special advisers shall hold office “at the pleasure of the president and shall cease to hold office when the President ceases to hold office.
“Since President Buhari who ceased to hold office on May 29, 2019 has been re-elected for another term of four years he is advised to formally sack all political appointees or renew their appointments without any further ado,” he said. “
This views expressed on the appointments of political advisers by the President apply mutatis mutandis to similar political appointments made by all elected governors in 2015,” he added.
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