Constitution amendment: S-Court urges Jonathan, NASS to settle out of court

The Supreme Court, yesterday, urged President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly to seek an amicable settlement of the controversy surrounding the proposed amendments to  the 1999 constitution.

A seven-man panel of justices of the apex court, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, gave the two parties 24 hours to explore an out-of-court resolution of the matter.

In a short ruling, yesterday, the CJN adjourned the matter till tomorrow to entertain arguments on whether or not the apex court should vacate the order that directed the NASS to maintain status-quo on the issue.

At the resumed sitting on the matter, yesterday, Mr Bayo Ojo, SAN, who represented the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, applied to amend the originating process to reflect President Jonathan as the plaintiff in the case.

His application was opposed by counsel to the NASS, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, who prayed the apex court to strike out the substantive suit and allow the federal lawmakers to proceed with overriding President Jonathan's veto against the passage of the Fourth Alteration Bill for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution.

Awomolo contended that the suit was incurably defective ab-initio, and therefore, ought to be dismissed by the apex court.