Court to Saraki: Don’t Declare Akpabio’s Seat Vacant

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Thursday, August 16th, 2018

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Federal High Court sitting in Bwari Abuja has stopped President of the Senate Bukola Saraki from declaring vacant, the seat of a former Senate Minority Leader Senator Godswill Akpabio.

In his ruling, Justice Othman Musa ordered Saraki not to impede Senator Akpabio’s access to the Senate building or alternatively, take any action that will amount to “overreaching his privileges and rights as a Senator pending the determination of the originating summons of the applicant.”

Consequently, the judge directed service of the originating summons and other processes on Saraki through the Clerk of the National Assembly, Clerk of the Senate, any other Clerk or reasonable staff of the National Assembly, NASS.

Justice Musa orders were made after an ex parte application filed by Akpabio’s lawyers, Mr. Chikaosolu Ojukwu and Ebere Ahanonu, seeking to stop moves to declare his seat vacant.

The hearing of the suit has been adjourned till Wednesday, August 29, 2018.

Akpabio, a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria defected from the PDP to APC last week Wednesday.

The suit followed the threat by Saraki to declare his seat vacant due to the development.