A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday refused to grant
an interim order stopping the appointment or selection of the Minority Leader of the Senate, a decision
which may clear the way for a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill
Akpabio, to step into the position.
The plaintiffs – Alaye Pedro and Dr. Okechukwu Ibeh – had in
their ex parte application for the interim order indicated that Akpabio had
been tipped for the position in breach of the Senate Standing Order which
prohibits appointment of a first term senator like the former governor into any
principal office of the Senate.
But Justice Gabriel Kolawole, after hearing the plaintiffs’
lawyer, Mr. B. J Akomolafe on Tuesday, dismissed majority of their prayers
contained in the ex parte application, holding in his ruling on Wednesday that the plaintiffs not
being members of the Senate, lacked the locus standi file the suit and be
granted such application.
The judge then adjourned the main suit till October 5 and
opted to return the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court who
will re-assign same to another judge when the court resumes from its ongoing
vacation.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Akpabio are the first
and second respondents to the suit,
which is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/602/2015.
The rest of the respondents are 16 PDP senators from the
South-South, the region to which the
Peoples Democratic Party as the leading
minority party in the Senate had zoned the position of the Minority Leader.
The other respondents include Senators Nelson Effiong,
Bassey Albert, Emmanuel Paulker, Ogola Foster, Ben Murray Bruce, John Enoh,
Gershom Bassey, Rose Oko, James Manager and Peter Nwaoboshi.
Others are Senators Ighoyota Amori, Clifford Ordia, Mathew
Urhoghide, George Sekibo, Olaka Nwogu, and Osinakchukwu Ideozu.
In rejecting the plaintiffs’ prayer for the interim
restraining order on Wednesday, Justice Kolawole held that he was not convinced
that the plaintiffs, not being members of the Senate, had the locus standi to
institute the action.
Justice Kolawole also refused to grant the plaintiffs’
request for an order for abridging the time within which the respondents to the
suit have to file their defense.
No comments:
Post a Comment