A member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Kanmi Ajibola, has taken the Nigerian military to court following recent allegations of a coup attempt to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Ajibola, a lawyer and former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilesa Branch, filed the suit on Thursday at the Federal High Court in Osogbo. He listed the Nigerian Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Attorney-General of the Federation as defendants.
In a 23-paragraph affidavit, the lawmaker argued that the 1999 Constitution does not empower the military to take over civil rule, stressing that Section 217(2) clearly defines the duties of the armed forces — none of which include intervening in governance.
He therefore urged the court to issue a perpetual injunction restraining the Nigerian military from forcefully taking control of government through a coup d’état or any other unconstitutional means.
Describing the recent coup rumours as “a bad omen and a slap on the face of true democrats,” Ajibola said he believes some officers still harbour the false notion that they can seize power by force.
He further stated that, as both a lawyer and a responsible citizen, he has the right and duty to challenge any move that threatens Nigeria’s democratic order, emphasizing the need to safeguard the nation’s hard-earned democracy.