Buhari Could Be Dragged To Court For Dropping Title

 The President-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari could be dragged to court for telling media to drop his Military title after May 29.

Buhari in his Military attire as Military head of state

Lagos-based lawyer and rights activist, Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa in a released statement said it was illegal for Buhari to drop his Major-General title having enjoyed the benefits the title has brought his after retiring from the military service.
The lawyer says Buhari must carry the cross that the name brings for him. He says Buhari should be proud of his title and will have to accept that he would be referred to as a Major-General.
The statemnt in part reads, “by virtue of Paragraph 1(1) of the 1st Schedule of the Armed Forces Pensions Act, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) is entitled to, and has indeed been receiving and benefiting from pension, as an officer who held a regular commission, before his retirement.
“Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) is the official and legal status, title, designation and appellation of our President-elect. He has no choice in the matter, but to continue to carry this cross for life.
“The military world over is a dignified institution, built on discipline, selflessness, courage, dignity, loyalty and patriotism.

“Buhari attends the Council of State meetings as former Head of State, which office he held in his capacity as a Major-General, which officially qualifies him to earn some benefits, have security aides, salaries, emoluments, diplomatic passports as well as free medical treatment, home and abroad.
“It is an institution that everyone should be proud of, except those of them who were trained and equipped by this noble institution, but chose to capture civilian power, through coup d’etat.
“From all the foregoing, I therefore humbly appeal to the President-elect to continue to bear his official name and status, by which he once climbed to power. I do sincerely sympathise with him on the very sad and distasteful memories that this title attracts to him. But it is his cross to carry.
“Nigerians voted for him in spite of his past and that should be enough encouragement for him to strive to erase any negative impression that it may have occasioned.”
Buhari a retired Major General in theNigerian Army who was Head of State of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985, after taking power in a military coup d’état.
He was elected president of Nigeria after he won the 2015 general election, defeating the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.