Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsay Orubebe wins as Supreme Court rules in his Favour as Federal Government appeals to convict him over alleged violation of the Code of Conduct for pubic officers.
The appeal, marked: SC/680/2017, was against the June 14, 2017 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja which set aside Orubebe’s conviction on October 4, 2016 by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for breach of Code of Conduct for public officers.
Amongst other accusations by the federal government against him were refusal to declare a Plot 2057, Asokoro District, Abuja, in any of the forms which he submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) while serving as a minister.
Orubebe in his defense had affirmed that he sold the land before his appointment as minister.
In a judgment on Friday, February 16, 2024, a five-member panel of the apex court rules that the appeal was “incompetent”
In the lead judgment prepared by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, but read on Friday by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the court found that the federal government failed to obtain the prior leave of the court before filing the appeal.
The court held that since the prior leave of court was not obtained as required, the appeal was incompetent and proceeded to dismiss it.
