Supreme Court Upholds Lifetime Ban on Former AGF Michael Aondoakaa from Holding Public Office

In a landmark decision that has reverberated through Nigeria’s legal and political circles, the Supreme Court has affirmed a lifetime ban on former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, from occupying any public office in the country. The unanimous judgment, delivered on December 10, 2021, by a five-man panel led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, upheld earlier rulings by the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court.

The case originated from a protracted 15-year legal battle tied to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) primary election held in December 2006 for the Uyo Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom State ahead of the 2007 general elections. Emmanuel Obot emerged as the winner of the primary but was substituted with another candidate. Subsequent court interventions, including judgments from the Court of Appeal, favored Obot, ordering his swearing-in.

However, as Attorney General of the Federation at the time, Aondoakaa wrote letters to the President of the Court of Appeal and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging them not to comply with the appellate court’s decisions. Courts later described these actions as a reckless subversion of the rule of law, the due administration of justice, and the integrity of the judiciary.

Justice Kekere-Ekun, aligning with views expressed in lower court judgments, including those of Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, condemned Aondoakaa’s conduct as unbecoming of the exalted office of Attorney General. The judgments highlighted that public office is a sacred trust and that the nation’s chief law officer must epitomize integrity and respect for judicial processes.

The Court of Appeal had earlier awarded N50 million in exemplary damages against Aondoakaa and imposed a perpetual injunction restraining him from holding the office of Attorney General or any other public office. The Supreme Court’s affirmation in suit SC.939/2015 has now made this ban permanent.

The ruling also invited the Nigerian Bar Association to consider appropriate disciplinary processes against the former AGF. This development underscores the judiciary’s stance on accountability and the sanctity of judicial independence in Nigeria.