The petition brought by the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) demanding a referendum to determine the fate of Biafra and other self-determination agitations has been postponed until January 20, 2022 by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
CNG had sued the National Assembly and the Attorney General in June, requesting that the court order the defendants to halt the ongoing constitutional review process and instead hold a referendum to establish what determines Nigeria and who populates it.
After the court before Justice Inyang Ekpo was unable to sit due to an important assignment, the case was adjourned on Monday in Abuja.
Instead of a constitutional review, the defendants should establish a framework for the realization of the agitators’ demand for self-determination, according to the CNG.
He said: “What we are doing is to save the country, ourselves and the future of the country because these peoples are becoming violent already. And most of the people engaged in this activity are below 50. So if we allow our leaders of today to go and leave us with these people in this situation, there may be another bloodshed or civil war. That’s what we want to avoid, which is why we come to the court to interpret the situation.
“One of the issues for determination in the substantive suit has to do with the legal obligation of the 2nd – 4th defendants/Respondents to provide a framework that will pave the way for the self-determination of the South-eastern states and any other enclave that wants to go so as to leave the geographical entity called Nigeria before any further step is taken to review the Constitution”.
Nastura Ashir Shariff, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, Balarabe Rufa’i, and Aminu Adam, the plaintiffs and leaders of the organization, joined the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, and the National Assembly as defendants in the claim.
Source: PUNCH