The federal government and National Assembly have settled their legal battle over the amendment of the 1999 constitution.
The two arms of government have come up with a new deal. The new deal was okayed by a full panel of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed. Federal government filed a notice of discontinuance of the suit against the NASS after the court okayed their settlement agreement.
Last Monday, the apex court advised the two parties to settle the constitutional dispute amicably within 48hours.
During the report of settlement yesterday, the apex court stood the matter down for further consultation and reconvened at about 4pm to endorse the out-of-court deal that both parties settled for.
Counsel to the two parties in the suit, Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN) and Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), for both federal government and National Assembly, respectively signed the settlement agreement.
The attorney general of the federation and minister of Justice, represented by Ojo, had sued the federal lawmakers over their moves to override President Goodluck Jonathan’s veto of the amended constitution.
Jonathan rejected certain contentious amendments and returned the bill. It was however gathered that both sides conceded to each other in the new deal.
Delivering its ruling, the apex court unanimously struck out the suit in pursuant to the settlement agreement presented by the parties and the notice of discontinuance filed by the plaintiff counsel.
The court hinged the striking out on Order 50, rule 3 of the Supreme Court. Out of the seven major issues reportedly objected to by the federal government, four were said to have been resolved in its favour, while three reportedly went in favour of the National Assembly.
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The withdrawal of the suit is said to be one of the resolved issues.
Both parties, also agreed that the provisions on Free Basic Education and Maternal Health Care Services should be expunged since other laws had provided for what they were meant to achieve.
It was one of the amendments challenged by the executive arm.
The issue of spending before the passage of budget is said to have gone the way of the National Assembly, among others.
The resolution of the controversy over the split of the offices of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, was said to be evenly splitted between the two warring factions.
While the federal government reportedly got one office to remain organic, the other was conceded to the lawmakers for a split.
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