BREAKING: Court Clears Former Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun of NYSC Controversy

A Federal High Court in Abuja has cleared former Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adosun of the controversy surrounding her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), stating that she was not supposed to present herself to the scheme, as under the 1979 Constitution, which was in force at the time of her graduation, she was not a Nigerian citizen

Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in a judgment on Wednesday, held that Adeosun was not qualified to have participated in the scheme when she graduated at 22 years because she was then a British citizen.

The judge further held that as at when she formally returned to Nigeria, and became a Nigerian citizen, at over 30 years, she was not eligible to present herself for the NYSC service and so her ministerial appointment was not illegal, neither was it unconstitutional, even without the certificate.

Justice Taiwo said the plaintiff or anyone did not require a discharge certificate of NYSC to qualify to contest election to the House of Representatives or be appointed a Minister in Nigeria.

The judgment ‎was on a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/303/2021 filed by Adeosun, with the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as the sole defendant.

The judge proceeded to grant the four reliefs sought by the plaintiff, to include “a declaration that the plaintiff, being a United Kingdom citizen as at 1989 when she graduated from the University of East London, London, United Kingdom at the age of 22 years, was ineligible to participate in the National Youth Service Corpse scheme, established by the National Youth Service Corps Act, CAP N8, LFN, 2004.”