The Supreme Court dismissed the Federal Government’s appeal against the reversal of former Niger-Delta Minister Godsday Orubebe’s conviction for allegedly violating the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.
The appeal, designated SC/680/2017, was filed against the Court of Appeal, Abuja’s June 14, 2017 decision, which overturned Orubebe’s conviction by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on October 4, 2016 for a violation of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.
The federal government accused him of failing to declare a property at Plot 2057, Asokoro District, Abuja, on any of the documents he submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) throughout his tenure as a minister.
Orubebe refuted the allegations, arguing that he sold the property before becoming a minister and hence had no obligation to register it.
On Friday, February 16, 2024, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court ruled that the appeal against Orubebe was incompetent.
In the main judgement, drafted by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba but read on Friday by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the court determined that the federal government neglected to get the court’s prior leave before submitting the appeal.
The court determined that because previous leave of court was not secured as needed, the appeal was defective and dismissed it.
