Lawyer Launches Petition Against Buhari

Carol Ajie, a constitutional lawyer and founder of Change.org, has appealed to President Barrack Obama of the United States, over President Muhammadu Buhari’s “disobedience of court orders.” Petition President Buhari had during the conversation with Nigerian journalists accepted that the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki and the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu were being held against court orders because they could run away. Dasuki is being prosecuted in connection to a supposed misapplication of $2.1 billion meant for purchase of arms to fight the deadly Boko Haram insurgency. Kanu, who lives in the UK together with other pro- Biafrans call for the independence of territories that constituted the Biafran Republic, established in 1967. So far, the petition has collected 743 signatures out of its 1,000 person target. The petition reads in part: “On May 29th 2015, a former Military Dictator, Muhammadu Buhari, sequel to a contested election in March 2015 against a sitting President in Nigeria, the first time in Africa, an incumbent handed power peaceably, smoothly, heroically to a political rival. “Whereupon Mr Buhari then took the Oath of Allegiance to protect the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and the President’s Oath of office to discharge his duties faithfully, in accordance with the Constitution and the Laws of Nigeria. “Within President Buhari’s first year in office, too soon after he took the revered Oaths, he and state agents acting under his supervision, now demonstrate total lack of respect for Court Orders and at his maiden media chat on Wednesday 30th Dec., instant, Mr President made puerile attempts to justify these breaches, he said inter alia that some persons his regime locked up in cells dehumanized against court orders, Nnamdi Kanu had travelled without his passports. “But under the Immigration Act, the President or the Minister may deport anyone who travels without a valid travel document or detain for a period not exceeding 7 days. In holding Mr. Kanu beyond the required period they have infracted on the Immigration Act, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and subsisting court orders.” “With regard to issues of “self determination”, the crux of Nnamdi Kanu’s campaign of the Independent People of Biafra, IPOB, having communicated IPOB’s intent to all and the United Nations as required by UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ratified by Nigeria, that people of any community or group may wish to exercise the right of self-determination with a view to pursuing their economic, social and cultural development; aware that their dignity as human persons had deteriorated and been consciously degraded under the present dispensation, sadly appearing power inebriate.” The lawyer asked Buhari to resign as President if he is not ready to obey court orders or risk being impeached from office. However, the presidency denied to comment on the petition. An official said it would be improper for the presidency to honour such a petition with an answer.