BY NSIKAK EKANEM
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has offered reasons for barring former Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, from holding public office in the country for life.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the Supreme Court had on December 10, 2021 affirmed a judgment of the Court of Appeal, Calabar division, which had earlier upheld a Federal High Court decision that barred Aondoakaa, who was Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, from occupying public office in Nigeria.
In the matter titled, SC.939/2015, Aondoakaa was appealing to the Supreme Court against the judgment delivered by Court of Appeal, Calabar division on September 3, 2015, which affirmed the decision, held by Federal High Court, Calabar division on June 1, 2010.
The five-man judicial panel at the Supreme Court, which also awarded N2 million against the appellant in favour of the 1st respondent (Emmanuel Obot), were Justices Mary Peter-Odili, Kekere-Ekun, Mohammed Lawal Garba, Ibrahim Saulawa and Emmanuel Agim.
In a 58-page certified true copy of the judgment sited by this reporter, Kekere-Ekun, who gave the led judgment stated that “The appellant (Aondoakaa), as the Chief Law Officer of the Federation and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria to boot was reckless and acted in a manner most unbecoming of the occupant of such an exalted office.”
Aligning with position held by Justice Olubunmi Oyewole in the Court of Appeal judgment, Kekere-Ekun quoted reasons advanced by the lower court in its decision.
Oyewole was of the view that “The fact leading to this appeal captured a most sordid low in administration of justice in this country.
“It is unthinkable that the occupier of the exalted office of Attorney General would subvert the ends of justice, as was crudely done in this case by the appellant.
