On Monday the case filed by the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) asking for a referendum to determine the fate of Biafra and other self-determination agitations at a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has been adjourned to 20th January 2022.
Recalls that CNG had, in June, sued the Attorney-General of the Federation and the National Assembly, praying the court to compel the defendants to halt the ongoing constitutional review exercise and in its place, conduct a referendum to determine what determines Nigeria and who populates it.
The spokesman of CNG, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, told newsmen after the adjournment that the court could not sit and the suit was subsequently adjourned to 20th January 2022.
The suit filed by the plaintiffs and leaders of the group, Nastura Ashir Shariff, Balarabe Rufa’i, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman and Aminu Adam, joined the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and the National Assembly as defendants.
The CNG prayed that the defendants should immediately provide a framework for the actualisation of agitators’ demand on self-determination, instead of constitutional review.
According to the plaintiffs, “One of the issues for determination in the substantive suit has to do with the legal obligation of the 2nd – 4th defendants/Respondents to provide a framework that will pave the way for the self-determination of the South-eastern states and any other enclave that wants to go so as to leave the geographical entity called Nigeria before any further step is taken to review the Constitution.”
