Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja has set October 31 as the date to deliver both a ruling and judgment in a case seeking the removal of Chiedu Ebie, Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board, over claims of an improper appointment.
The date was fixed after parties involved in the case presented their written arguments for and against the originating summons.
Several Niger Delta communities filed the lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu, alleging that Ebie’s appointment violated the NDDC Act. They argued that Ebie was ineligible for the position as he does not hail from an oil-producing area.
During the proceedings, the plaintiffs, represented by their lawyer, urged the court to dismiss the preliminary objection filed by President Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, stating that the respondents’ case lacked merit and should be thrown out.
After hearing all submissions, Justice Abdulmalik announced that both the ruling on the preliminary objection and the judgment on the main suit will be delivered on October 31.