In a decisive ruling, the Supreme Court on Friday struck out a suit filed by the 36 state governments seeking to compel the Federal Government to account for Revenues from the sale of liquefied natural gas, natural gas liquids, and related products since 1999.
A seven-member panel of the apex court, presided over by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, delivered a unanimous judgment, stating that the court lacked the original jurisdiction to entertain the case. The states had named the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as the sole defendant in the matter.
Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, who delivered the lead judgment, upheld the preliminary objection raised by the AGF. He affirmed that the issue had already been addressed by the Supreme Court in the case of Attorney General of Bauchi State v. Attorney General of the Federation. According to Justice Garba, the current suit represented an attempt to re-litigate matters previously decided by the court, particularly concerning revenues accruing to the federation and their remittance into the Federation Account.
“The Supreme Court does not have original jurisdiction to hear or determine the case as presently constituted,” Justice Garba declared while striking out the suit.
Other members of the panel, including Justices Abba-Aji, Emmanuel Agim, Simon Tsammani, Stephen Adah, and Jamilu Tukur, unanimously supported the lead judgment. They concurred that the matter lacked merit and should not be revisited, as it falls outside the court’s jurisdiction.
This judgment serves as a definitive closure to the states’ bid to obtain a detailed account of gas revenues spanning over two decades, reinforcing the earlier legal precedent set in the AG, Bauchi v. AGF case.
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