Federal High Court Abuja says Adamawa State deputy Governor Bala James Ngilari becomes Acting Governor

A former Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Bala Ngilari, has been sworn-in as the Governor of the state.

Ngilari was the deputy to Alhaji Murtala Nyako, who was removed as the governor of the state.
The swearing in of Ngilari followed an order of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday.
The court had ordered the immediate removal of the state’s Acting Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, and the swearing-in of Ngilari.
This was sequel to a suit brought by Ngilari challenging the process of his alleged resignation.
This was also sequel to the acceptance of the judgment by the Federal Government, which, through the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, ordered the immediate inauguration of Ngilari as governor.
The Federal Government, shortly after the judgment by Justice Adeniyi Ademola, directed the Chief Judge of Adamawa State to immediately swear in Ngilari as the governor of the state.
The directive was contained in a statement by Adoke.
Adoke said that the move was in compliance with the Federal High Court judgment, which nullified the swearing in of Fintiri as Acting Governor.
The statement also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to suspend all arrangements for the scheduled governorship by-election in the state on Saturday.
The statement said: “The attention of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been drawn to the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered by Hon Justice Adeniyi Ademola on October 8, 2014.
“The Federal High Court by its judgment under reference nullified the swearing in of Ahmadu Umar Fintiri as the Acting Governor of Adamawa State and declared the resignation of James Bala Ngilari as unconstitutional, null and void.
“The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed, hereby calls on the Chief Judge of Adamawa to immediately swear in Barrister Bala Ngilari as the Governor of Adamawa.
“This directive is in obedience to the judgment of the court and the need to avert a vacuum in ‎governance and possible constitutional crises.
“The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission is also called upon in obedience to the judgement to keep in abeyance all the arrangements made for the conduct of the by-election scheduled to take place in Adamawa on Saturday, October 11, 2014.”