Appeal Court Presidency: Nobody should stampede Buhari – Garba Shehu

The Presidency on Sunday said nobody should seek to stampede President Muhammadu Buhari on the much-awaited confirmation of the Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Justice M. S. Dongban-Mensem.

A presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement, said the statutory regulatory time of Justice Dongban-Mensem’s acting period had not lapsed.

• Things to know about Acting President Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice M.B. Dongban Mensem

He said: “In making appointments upon the recommendations of other arms or agencies of the government, the president is not a rubber stamp that will mechanistically sign off on nominees that come before him.

“The president has a duty to ensure that all such appointments meet the requirements of the constitution and in protecting the supreme law of the land in this regard, he has an obligation to allow law enforcement and security agencies to do their work.

“Don’t forget our recent experience with ministers who were signed off upon and turned out as having not undertaken the compulsory National Youth Service, just to give you an example.

“In the specific case of the Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Her Lordship Justice M. S Dongban-Mensem, the statutory regulatory time of her acting period has not lapsed. This is not about ethnicity or religion. It is about security and law enforcement agencies being allowed to complete their work.”

Buhari had, on May 29, 2020, approved the extension of the appointment of Justice Dongban-Mensem as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal with effect from June 3, 2020, for a further period of three months pursuant to Section 238(4) and (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).