Anambra, Adamawa, and Ebonyi governments have withdrawn from the suit challenging the constitutionality of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The seven-member panel of the supreme court, led by Uwani
Abba-Aji, on Tuesday struck out the names of the states in the suit.
The three states applied to withdraw from the suit through
their respective attorneys-general.
Sixteen states had approached the apex court to challenge
the operations of the EFCC.
The states contended that the anti-graft agency was not
validly established in 2003 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.
BACKGROUND
The suit challenging the legality of the EFCC was initially
filed by the Kogi state government.
Subsequently, 15 states applied to join Kogi in the suit.
The states are Ondo, Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Nasarawa, Kebbi,
Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, Enugu, Benue, Anambra, Plateau, Cross River, and
Niger.
The states argued that the national assembly failed to
adhere to section 12 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which governs the
incorporation of international treaties into domestic law, in the enactment of
the EFCC Act.
They further maintained that domesticating a convention
requires the approval of a majority of the state houses of assembly based on
the provisions of section 12 of the constitution.
They added that the procedure for domesticating the
convention was bypassed in the process of passing the EFCC Act and similar
laws.
They noted that the EFCC Act cannot be applied to states
that did not consent.
The suit has elicited varied reactions, with some civil
society organisations faulting the state governments involved.
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