The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has dragged President Muhammadu Buhari before the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court over his decision to extend the tenure of Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, Inspector General of Police by three months.

Recall that IGP Adamu was due to retire from the police last Monday having spent a maximum of 35 years in service, but his tenure was extended by Buhari 'to give room for proper selection of a successor.'

Meanwhile, many Nigerians,legal practitioners and organizations such as Civil Society Organisation, CSO, Citizens Action for Good Governance, CAGG and many others have described the extension as illegal and unconstitutional.

Read Also: PRESIDENT BUHARI EXTENDS TENURE OF IGP MOHAMMED ADAMU BY THREE MONTHS

In the suit with number FHC/L/CS/214/2021, the NBA is seeking judicial determination on whether the President has constitutional powers to extend by three months, the tenure of the IGP who had on February 1, 2021 attained 35 years of service as a member of the Nigeria Police Force.

Joined in the law suit by the NBA as co-defendants are the Police Service Commission (2nd defendant) and IGP Mohammed Abubakar (3rd defendant).

In a statement signed on Friday, 12th February 2021, Olumide Akpata, President of the Association said that Buhari's extension of Adamu’s tenure by three months is unconstitutional.

The statement read: "The NBA’s decision to take this extraordinary line of action is underpinned by an urgent need, and a sacred duty, to reassert the supremacy of the rule of law in the face of growing impunity and the seeming reluctance of Law Officers in Government to give proper counsel.

"In the grand scheme of things, the NBA is wary that the more government officials casually violate the law, the harder it would become to expect citizens to be compliant. Citizens take their cues from their leaders and public office holders who flout the laws of the country that they are meant to uphold will discover sooner or later that their examples will be followed by those that they purport to govern.

"The ubiquity of acts of impunity, especially by those in high public offices, portends an existential threat to the survival of this country and her hard-won democracy. The NBA, now more than ever, is firmly committed to changing this narrative.

As the outcome of the Suit is awaited, the NBA will continue to condemn and confront lawlessness in any form and from all quarters."