A highly respected lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, has been criticised by a civil society organization, the Nigerian People’s Congress. The organisation faulted the reaction of the senior lawyer on the position of his younger colleague and constitutional lawyer, Kayode Ajulo on the interpretation of a section of the Nigerian Constitution.
The group in a statement made available to the press through its spokesperson, Abdulrahman Sadiq, accused Ozekhome of misrepresenting the legal opinion of Ajulo on the interpretation of section 134(2) of the Constitution.
Sadiq who is also an APC leader in FCT said the group expected the senior lawyer Ajulo’s position.
Ajulo, in his article, aired his view on the provisions of Section 134(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), particularly subparagraph (b) that had generated so much controversy since INEC declared Bola Tinubu as President-elect in the just concluded election having failed to secure 25% of votes in the FCT.
The lawyer was of the view that the section of the Constitution regarded the FCT as a state and that failing to secure 25% of votes in the capital city is not enough to hinder the declaration of the winner in the election to the office of the President. He also said he felt disappointed in some senior lawyers who interpret laws to suit their political inclination.
Specifically, the organisation also accused Ozekhome of a deliberate attempt to bully Ajulo and pitch him against some senior lawyers.
The group said that irrespective of individual interpretation of the law, the fate of the country and its people must be in consideration
