Suit by Melaye, others: Court adjourns for adoption of briefs

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday fixed Oct. 12 for the hearing of a suit brought by seven suspended members of the House of Representatives.

The lawmakers, led by Dino Melaye, are challenging their suspension from the House.

The other defendants are Independence Ogunewe, Austin Nwachukwu, Solomon Ahwinahwi, Bitrus Kazesh, Abba Adamu and Doris Uboh.

The court, presided over by Justice Adamu Bello, adjourned the case for adoption of written addresses to enable all the counsel in the suit file the necessary documents.

The court, however, cautioned lawyers representing the leadership of the House that it would no longer entertain any unnecessary delays in the hearing of the suit.

Previously, Counsel to the third defendant Clerk of the House], Sebastine Hon had told the court that he had a preliminary objection challenging the competence of the suit.

He informed the court that the lead counsel to the House of Representatives, 1st defendant Yusuf Ali had written to the court that he would be absent.

He, however, sought the court's permission for an adjourment.

Ola Olanipekun counsel to Speaker Dimeji Bankole 2ND defendant also told the court that they had a motion for oral evidence to be called.

Femi Falana, who represented Melaye and Tunde Norde, counsel to Doris Uboh, objected to the application for an adjournment, describing it as a ploy by the defendants to delay the proceedings unnecessarily.

If this court grants an adjournment it would be a dangerous precedence because there would be no end to it,Falana said.

He argued that since the two chambers were represented in court the matter should continue considering the fact the plaintiffs had been out of the House since June 22, and ``bearing in mind that this matter is a tenure issue”.

He urged the court to take cognizance of the fact that judges had often been blamed for the delay in the administration of justice.

In his ruling, Justice Bello pointed out that he was not adjourning the matter because of the IBA conference but to enable all the parties in the suit file their written addresses.

He said all the applications should be filed as the court would not entertain any excuses at the next sitting.

The lawmakers had approached Justice Bello to stop Bankole from further preventing them from performing their legislative functions.

One of the suspended lawmakers, Olugbenga Onigbogi, withdrew from the suit, opting to settle his case with the Speaker out of court.