Court strikes out forgery suit against Saraki, Ekweremadu
Justice Ademola Adeniyi of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday struck out the suit that sought to remove the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, from office on the premise that the Senate Standing Orders 2015 that produced them was forged.
Justice Adeniyi terminated further hearing on the matter after the plaintiffs, who are five – Senators Abu Ibrahim, Kabir Marafa, Ajayi Boroffice, Olugbenga Ashafa and Suleiman Hunkuni – applied to withdraw the suit.
At the resumed sitting on the case on Monday, the plaintiffs, through their lawyer, Chief Mamman Osuman (SAN), said their decision to discontinue further hearing on the matter was in view of the fact that the essence of the suit had been overtaken by events.
They noted that the Senate leadership under Saraki and Ekweremadu, despite the pendency of the suit, had carried out several legislative actions, among which they said included the constitution of different committees for the 8th Senate.
Following their application, Justice Adeniyi, in a short ruling on Monday, struck out the suit.
Meanwhile, none of the defendants sent a legal representation before the court on Monday.
Specifically, the plaintiffs had prayed the court to stop both Saraki and Ekweremadu from further exercising the powers of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively.
In their suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/651/2015, the plaintiffs, all members of All Progressives Congress, also urged the court to stop the two defendants from relying on the provisions of the alleged forged Senate Standing Orders 2015 to conduct the affairs of the Senate.
Equally joined as defendants in the suit were the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate and the National Assembly.
The plaintiffs were all members of the ‘Unity Forum’ in the Senate that supported Senator Ahmed Lawan to emerge as the Senate president in the election that was won by Saraki on June 9.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole, who earlier presided over the matter as a vacation judge, had in a ruling he delivered on July 28 declined to issue an interim order of injunction against Saraki and Ekweremadu.