Ozekhome contended Baba’s appointment negated provisions of Federal Character as enshrined in the 1999 constitution, as amended.
He stated this in a statement titled “Buhari’s Northernisation of Nigeria Police.”
The activist lawyer argued the President lacks the power to single handedly appoint the IGP.
He said the President can only appoint an IGP in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Council comprising Mr. President as chairman, all the 36 state governors, the chairman of the Police Service Commission and the IGP.
He argued the appointment of Baba, as the new acting IGP “is capricious, arbitrary, whimsical, unconscionable, illegal, unlawful, wrongful and unconstitutional.”
The senior advocate wondered why the President chose to ignore and disrespect the Federal Character principle enshrined in section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
According to RULAAC ““The procedure requires that the Police Council, comprising the President, the governor of each of the states of the federation and the FCT, the chairman of the police service commission and the sitting inspector general of police, would meet to consider the candidates and advice the President who will then appoint one of them based on the advice of the Council. The President also needs to consult the Police Council to remove a sitting IGP”