Bauchi Gov Advocates Judicial Activism in Addressing Executive, Legislature Standoff

By Segun Awofadeji in Gombe

Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, has called for the adoption of judicial activism in resolving issues of misunderstanding of the powers conferred on the executive and legislature by the constitution.

According to a press release signed by the Press Secretary to the governor, Malam Abubakar Al-Sadique Thursday, Abubakar stated this while presenting a paper as a guest lecturer on executive-legislative relations and challenges of democratic consolidation in Bauchi State to course participants at the Institute for Security Studies of the Department of Security Services, Abuja.

He noted that constitutional democratic government with written constitution is the best form of government because the parameters of government are clearly defined, but lamented that Nigerians are not exploiting the opportunities accorded by the constitution to seek redress and improve the nation’s legal system.

The governor, who is also a legal luminary, opined that separation of powers between the three arms of government is very important and the constitution is very clear on such principles with powers of all the arms well defined.

He said the reasons for separation of powers is to have an interplay between the arms, like in the case of the executive nominating those to be appointed as ministers or commissioners in states and the powers of the legislature to confirm or reject the nominees as well as the case of budget estimates preparation for legislative approval, adding that: “On the question of whether budget estimates can be tinkered by the legislature, the law needs to be tested. I’m surprised that it has not been tested in court by concerned Nigerians especially the executive and legislative arms because in grey areas of the constitution, there is need for introduction of judicial activism.”

Details later…

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