Gbajabiamila's appointment as Tinubu’s Chief of Staff unconstitutional

LEGIT

• Lawyer Inibehe Effiong has said the principle of separation of powers in Nigeria has suffered a travesty

• Effiong said it is a constitutional aberration for President Bola Tinubu to have announced Gbajabiamila as his Chief of Staff (CoS) while the speaker is still a legislator 

• The legal practitioner argued that Tinubu should have waited till after Tuesday, June 13 before announcing the speaker as his CoS

Prominent human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, on Friday, June 2, said Femi Gbajabiamila’s appointment as President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff (CoS) is a constitutional aberration. 

Gbajabiamila is the incumbent speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Legit.ng reports that the span of the 9th National Assembly expires on Tuesday June 13. 

Effiong addressed the fact that the current speaker of the green chamber is to assume office as CoS on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. 

‘A travesty of the principle of separation of powers’: Effiong fumes at Tinubu 

The legal practitioner further described President Tinubu’s decision as “a travesty of the principle of separation of powers”. 

He wrote: 

“Nigeria operates a constitutional democracy based on the principle of separation of powers. Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the 1999 Constitution vest the legislative, executive and judicial powers of the Federation in the National Assembly, President and established Courts respectively.

 The principle of separation of powers under our constitutional framework applies both to functions and personnel of the different organs of government. The intention of the framers of the Constitution was to give each arm independence from the other arms of government. 

 “It is a travesty of this principle, for Gbajabiamila’s appointment as Tinubu’s Chief of Staff to be announced without him first resigning not only his speakership position, but also his membership of the House of Representatives.”