Activists, under the auspices of Concerned Nigerians group, have instituted a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the appointment of Hannatu Musawa as Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy.

Filed by rights lawyer, Samuel Ihensekhien Jnr, on behalf of Deji Adeyanju and Dr Patrick Osagie Eholor, the plaintiffs, in the suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/1198/2023, are seeking her disqualification for allegedly being a serving corps member.

They are also inquiring her alleged membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in her ‘current’ status.

The President, Attorney-General of the Federation and Musawa are respondents.
On the litigation, Ihensekhien Jnr said: “It is so obvious that Mrs Hannatu Musawa, being a serving corps member, is not competent to be appointed a minister. It is crystal clear from the authoritative pronouncements of the Supreme Court in the case of Modibbo v Usman decided in 2019, which stated that a youth corps member is not competent to contest any election in Nigeria and, or engaged in partisan politics like Musawa in this case.”

According to him, Musawa, who reportedly has not completed the compulsory one-year youth service, is not qualified to be appointed a minister in Nigeria, since the Constitution has prescribed same qualifications and disqualifications for election into the House of Representatives and appointment into the office of a minister.

The suit is praying for five distinct reliefs and other ancillary/mandatory consequential injunctions in this regard. No date has been assigned for the hearing.