President Bola Tinubu‘s recent decision to remove Babatunde Irukera, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), without seeking Senate approval, has stirred legal controversies.
Tinubu announced Irukera’s immediate dismissal on Monday through his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale.
However, an examination of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act reveals a potential breach in the President’s actions.
As per the Act establishing the FCCPC in 2018, the President’s authority to remove the agency head is explicitly contingent upon Senate approval.
The Act delineates specific conditions for removal, including incompetence, breach of appointment terms, misconduct, or conflict of interest violations.
The Act mandates that the President’s exercise of removal powers necessitates Senate endorsement.
Dockaysworld gathered that there is no apparent indication that Tinubu sought Senate approval before dismissing Irukera.
This deviation from the Act’s stipulations raises serious legal concerns about the validity of Tinubu’s decision.
Experts say the absence of Senate approval could render the dismissal legally contentious and susceptible to challenge for non-compliance with the statutory provisions governing the agency’s operations.
Meanwhile, Irukera seems to have accepted his dismissal in good faith.
In a post on X, the former FCCPC wrote:
