The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe (SAN), has faulted the Federal High Court for entertaining a suit relating to the ongoing local government crisis in Osun State, insisting that the state high court should have handled the matter.......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
Naija News reports that Osigwe made his position known during a telephone conversation with Punch on Sunday, stating that the crisis in Osun could be traced to legal missteps taken by the Federal High Court in deciding matters beyond its jurisdiction.
The NBA President noted that while he had not thoroughly reviewed the judgments, it was improper for a suit involving local government administration to be filed before a federal court.
He said, “Because I have not read the Court of Appeal judgment, I will not venture an opinion on it, but I think there is a part of the conversation that should concern us.
“What is the business of the federal high court in giving decisions one way or the other concerning local government elections in the state? That is the root of the problem in Osun State.
“Does the federal high court have jurisdiction to make pronouncements on whether a law passed concerning local government elections is valid or invalid?
“Does it have the power to do so? Why are cases like this brought to the federal high court instead of the state high court where they ought to be determined?
“This is the starting point. All the cases referred to that went on appeal originated from the federal high court. Why are senior lawyers and other lawyers filing such cases in the federal high court? Why does the federal high court entertain these cases when it ought not to?”
