It is illegal for Buhari to solely appoint IGP, says Ozekhome

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mike Ozekhome, has expressed that it is unconstitutional for President Muhammadu Buhari to solely appoint Usman Alkali Baba as the acting inspector-general of police.

The President had on Tuesday approved the appointment of Usman Baba to take over the office of the IGP with immediate effect.

Reacting to the appointment in a statement on Tuesday, Ozekhome stated that the president lacks the power to single-handedly appoint an IGP.

He backed up his point by citing “sections 7(6) and 18(8) of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, in addition to the clear provisions of sections 214 ,215 and 216 and paragraph 7 to the 3rd Schedule of the 1999 Constitution.”

In his words,

“the president cannot single-handedly appoint an IGP, as he has again unconstitutionally and illegally done.”

“He can only do so in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Council comprising Mr. President as chairman, all the 36 state governors, the chairman of the Police Service Commission and the IGP.

“Such an appointment as just happened before the new acting IGP is capricious, arbitrary, whimsical, unconscionable, illegal, unlawful, wrongful and unconstitutional, he said