{"id":135967,"date":"2024-10-28T23:13:27","date_gmt":"2024-10-28T22:13:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/govs-vs-efcc-supreme-court-judgement-will-define-nigerias-federalism-lawyers"},"modified":"2024-10-29T00:21:19","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T23:21:19","slug":"govs-vs-efcc-supreme-court-judgement-will-define-nigerias-federalism-lawyers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/govs-vs-efcc-supreme-court-judgement-will-define-nigerias-federalism-lawyers","title":{"rendered":"Govs vs EFCC: Supreme Court judgement will define Nigeria\u2019s federalism \u2013 Lawyers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Nigeria. <\/strong><\/span>The Judiciary Watchdogs, a coalition of lawyers from the 36 states of Nigeria, has stated that the lawsuit filed by 19 state governors challenging the constitutionality of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will define Nigeria\u2019s federalism.<\/p>\n<p>The lawyers, who have been vocal against corruption in Nigeria, argue that the EFCC\u2019s enabling act was enacted without input from state assemblies, violating the principles of federalism and state autonomy.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement signed by Co-National Convener Barr. Real S. Dennis, the group expressed support for the governors\u2019 demand for constitutional compliance, state sovereignty, and accountability from the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies.<\/p>\n<p>The lawyers believe that establishing a solid foundation is essential in the fight against corruption.<\/p>\n<p>Dennis contended that the National Assembly must ratify the UN Convention against Corruption in accordance with Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution.<\/p>\n<p>He added that the lawsuit could have far-reaching implications for Nigeria\u2019s federal system, anti-corruption efforts, and democratic governance. He advised the Federal Government to critically assess why EFCC seems consistently embroiled in controversy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe, the Judiciary Watchdogs, a group of lawyers from the 36 states of the federation, wholeheartedly applaud the bold and visionary leadership of the 16 state governors who have taken a historic step to challenge the constitutionality of the EFCC and others at the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe believe that the states\u2019 actions represent a legitimate pursuit of constitutional clarity and accountability. As it stands in Nigeria today, there is no genuine fight against corruption.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a significant legal challenge for Nigeria\u2019s federal structure. The Constitution empowers states as key stakeholders in lawmaking, particularly regarding governance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHowever, the Federal Government\u2019s unilateral creation of agencies like the EFCC undermines federalism and state autonomy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe states involved aren\u2019t seeking to dismantle these agencies but rather advocate for a balanced system that respects all levels of government. International conventions complicate national sovereignty, and Nigeria must uphold treaties while honouring constitutional obligations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMoreover, the effectiveness of the anti-graft agencies, particularly the EFCC, in addressing corruption has been called into question. Numerous allegations of selective enforcement and abuse of power have plagued these institutions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe EFCC, in particular, has faced criticism for operating beyond its mandate, often pursuing politically motivated cases that raise concerns about its impartiality.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis lack of accountability is compounded by the absence of a robust framework to ensure transparency in its operations,\u201d the lawyers stated.<\/p>\n<p>They asserted that disbanding these agencies could pave the way for a more accountable and effective mechanism for combating corruption\u2014one that operates within the bounds of the law and commands public trust.<\/p>\n<p>By seeking constitutional clarity and accountability, the lawyers said the governors demonstrated their commitment to upholding the rule of law, protecting Nigeria\u2019s federal system, and ensuring that the EFCC operates within legally established parameters.<\/p>\n<p>They stated: \u201cThe United Nations Convention against Corruption, ratified by Nigeria on December 14, 2004, must be implemented in accordance with Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis section unequivocally states that no treaty can have the force of law in Nigeria until ratified by a majority of all the Houses of Assembly in the Federation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe governors are building on the landmark case of Dr Joseph Nwobike vs. Federal Republic of Nigeria, where the Supreme Court held that the EFCC Establishment Act was enacted without following the provisions of Section 12.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are also advocating for state sovereignty, allowing states the right to establish anti-graft agencies independent of federal control.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe outcome of this lawsuit will have profound implications for Nigeria\u2019s federal system, anti-corruption efforts, and democratic governance. If successful, it may resolve contentious issues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe commend the 19 state governors for their courage and vision. Their pursuit of constitutional clarity and sovereignty will strengthen Nigeria\u2019s democracy and ensure that the rule of law prevails. We stand with them and urge the Supreme Court to uphold the Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>For More News And Analysis About Nigeria Follow Africa-Press<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Nigeria. The Judiciary Watchdogs, a coalition of lawyers from the 36 states of Nigeria, has stated that the lawsuit filed by 19 state governors challenging the constitutionality of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will define Nigeria\u2019s federalism. The lawyers, who have been vocal against corruption in Nigeria, argue that the EFCC\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":135966,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,14],"tags":[68,254,620],"class_list":["post-135967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-efcc","tag-nigeria","tag-supreme-court"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Govs vs EFCC: Supreme Court judgement will define Nigeria\u2019s federalism \u2013 Lawyers - Nigeria<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Judiciary Watchdogs, a coalition of lawyers from the 36 states of Nigeria, has stated that the lawsuit filed by 19 s ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/govs-vs-efcc-supreme-court-judgement-will-define-nigerias-federalism-lawyers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Govs vs EFCC: Supreme Court judgement will define Nigeria\u2019s federalism \u2013 Lawyers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Judiciary Watchdogs, a coalition of lawyers from the 36 states of Nigeria, has stated that the lawsuit filed by 19 s ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/govs-vs-efcc-supreme-court-judgement-will-define-nigerias-federalism-lawyers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nigeria\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-10-28T22:13:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-10-28T23:21:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/sm_1730145048.16018.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/govs-vs-efcc-supreme-court-judgement-will-define-nigerias-federalism-lawyers#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/govs-vs-efcc-supreme-court-judgement-will-define-nigerias-federalism-lawyers\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Govs vs EFCC: Supreme Court judgement will define Nigeria\u2019s federalism \u2013 Lawyers\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-28T22:13:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-28T23:21:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/govs-vs-efcc-supreme-court-judgement-will-define-nigerias-federalism-lawyers\"},\"wordCount\":665,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/govs-vs-efcc-supreme-court-judgement-will-define-nigerias-federalism-lawyers#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/sm_1730145048.16018.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"EFCC\",\"Nigeria\",\"Supreme Court\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/govs-vs-efcc-supreme-court-judgement-will-define-nigerias-federalism-lawyers#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/govs-vs-efcc-supreme-court-judgement-will-define-nigerias-federalism-lawyers\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/govs-vs-efcc-supreme-court-judgement-will-define-nigerias-federalism-lawyers\",\"name\":\"Govs vs EFCC: Supreme Court judgement will define Nigeria\u2019s federalism \u2013 Lawyers - 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