Fuel scarcity: Lawyer sues President Buhari over dual portfolio, hardship experienced by Nigerians

A Lagos-based legal practitioner, Festus Ogun on Monday filed a lawsuit against President Muhammadu Buhari at the Federal High Court in Lagos over the excessive pain, hardship and agony Nigerians went through as a result of the fuel scarcity experienced earlier this year.

The legal practitioner said he solemnly believed that the gross inefficiency and mismanagement in the Petroleum Sector that led to the fuel scarcity was avoidable if the President was not holding the dual position of Petroleum Minister in violation of Section 138 of the 1999 Constitution.

He also contended that the President’s continuous service as Petroleum Minister is not only illegal and unconstitutional.

“It is inimical to our economic growth and likely to occasion future scarcity and inefficiency that will affect the country and its good people,” Ogun said.

“I make bold to say that it is practically and legally impossible for the President to hold his elected position that comes with enormous responsibilities, contemporaneously with the position of Petroleum Minister. It has no basis in law, logic and politics.”

“If Nigerians suffered that heavily during the fuel scarcity, the President must be answerable for it. There must be consequences. And as a citizen of this country, I believe we must avert a reoccurrence; whether under this regime or in future administrations.”

The case is yet to be assigned to any judge.