Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohmamed Adoke, SAN, has directed the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Kate Abiri, to swear in Rivers State Governor-elect, Nyesom Wike, on May 29.
In a statement issued by his office and personally signed by him, Adoke said the request became necessary because of the existing vacuum in the Office of the Chief Judge of Rivers State, as well as the Office of President of the Customary Court of Appeal in the state.
He explained that because of the vacuum, compliance with requirements of section 185 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution under which Wike should be sworn in has been made impossible.
Adoke noted that the directive to the Bayelsa Chief Judge to swear in Wike in accordance with Section 185 (2) of the constitution was to avert a likely constitutional crisis in the state
Adoke said: “Section 185 (2) of the constitution states that ‘the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Office shall be administered by the Chief Judge of the state or Grand Khadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the state, if any, or President of the Customary Court of Appeal of the state, if any, or the person for the time being respectively appointed to exercise the functions of any of those offices in any state.
“The general public, particularly the government and people of Rivers State, are hereby invited to take note of this development and appreciate the fact that the invitation extended to the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State to administer the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the Governor-elect of Rivers State on May 29, 2015 is in accordance with the Constitution and should therefore be respected by all and sundry
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