Court okays suit seeking to sack newly-appointed EFCC chairman, Olukoyede

A High Court in Abuja has approved the hearing of two separate suits, seeking the disqualification of the newly appointed chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede.

This follows Olukoyede’s confirmation as the EFCC chairman by the Nigerian Senate, following his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The first suit, marked FHC/KN/CS/280/202, was filed in the Division of the court in Kano State, while the second suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1410/2023, is pending in the Abuja Division.

These legal actions were initiated by legal practitioners Mr. Stanley Okawara and Mr. Maxwell Opara, respectively.

Justice Abdullahi Liman of the Kano court has scheduled a hearing on October 30 for a motion seeking to restrain Olukoyede from exercising the powers and functions of the EFCC chairman or receiving related benefits until the suits are resolved.

The defendants in these cases include President Tinubu, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the EFCC.

The plaintiffs are raising questions about the constitutional qualifications and legal eligibility of the EFCC chairman appointment, and they are seeking court orders to invalidate the appointment and prevent Olukoyede from functioning in that role.

The second suit, filed by Mr. Opara, specifically questions the legal qualifications of the appointee and seeks to nullify his appointment as the EFCC chairman.

The cases are yet to be assigned to judges for a hearing, and they address significant concerns about the appointment process for this key position in the anti-graft agency.