Former minister, Tallen, in trouble over comment on court judgment, barred from holding public office

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, gave an order restraining former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dame Pauline Tallen, from holding any public office unless she apologises publicly for disrespecting the court within 30 days.

The President of the court, Justice U.P. Kekemeke, in his ruling, said the injunction would become perpetual if Tallen who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, refused to apologise within the time frame given by the court.

The one-time deputy governor of Plateau State had, got into trouble in 2022 when she reportedly described the decision of the Federal High Court in a suit between current National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), as “a kangaroo judgment that should be rejected by well-meaning Nigerians.”

Not happy with the disposition of Tallen, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) took up a case against her and demanded an apology from her, but she bluntly refused to tender an apology.

A statement by NBA’s National Publicity Secretary, Akorede Habeeb Lawal, on the restraining injunction on Monday said all efforts to get Tallen to apologise for the disparaging comments were abortive, hence the decision to drag her to court.

“Recall that on the 14th day of December, 2022, the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) took out an originating summons against Dame Pauline Tallen,” the statement reads.

“The aforesaid statement by the former minister was widely circulated in both social and print media.

“By a letter dated 14 November, 2022, the NBA President, Mr Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau (SAN) had written to the former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development demanding her to withdraw the said disparaging comments and tender an unreserved and public apology to the court, failing which the NBA would institute an action against her as being unfit to continue to hold any public office in Nigeria.

“This letter was never responded to and the demands therein were not complied with, hence the institution of Suit No: CV/816/2016 before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

“Earlier today, the 18th day of December, 2023, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory found in favour of the Incorporated Trustees of the NBA and against the defendant, Dame Pauline Tallen, in Suit No: CV/816/2016.

“Consequently, the court declared that the said statement of Dame Pauline Tallen (the defendant) was unconstitutional, careless, reckless, disparaging, a call to disobey the judgment of court and therefore contemptuous of the Federal High Court of Nigeria.

“The court also granted, among other reliefs, an injunction restraining Dame Pauline Tallen from holding any public office in Nigeria, unless she purges herself of the ignoble conduct by publishing a personally signed apology letter to Nigerians and the judiciary.

“The court ordered that the injunction restraining the defendant from holding any public office in Nigeria shall become perpetual if she fails to abide by the order directing her to publish an apology letter within 30 days.”

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