• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
    • Government
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
    • Chinese nationals jailed in Lagos

      Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cybercrime in Lagos

      ASUU

      Tackle Corruption, Institutional Decay – ASUU Charges FG

      EFCC Arraigns Bauchi Accountant General Over N8bn Fraud as Court Sentences…

      PRNigeria logo fearured image

      EFCC Arraigns Ex-Convict, Other for Naira Abuse in Lagos

      EFCC Arrests 37 Suspected Internet Fraudsters in Ilorin

  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
    • Acting Controller General of Customs, Nigerian Customs Services, NSC, Ag. CG Bashir Adewale Adeniyi

      Customs Exposes Scam Over Form M Migration to B’Odogwu Platform

      CBN

      The Facts About Nigeria’s Debts Burden Under Tinubu’s Watch By Zekeri…

      Ibrahim Yahaya Dandakata of Arewa Economic Forum AEF

      AEF Slams CBN’s New BDC Policy, Cites Threat to Northern Economy…

      Google Search Tech Digest

      7 Smart Google Search Tips That Will Save You Hours By…

      U.S. VISA

      REVEALED: Why US Reduced Visa Validity for Nigerians to 3 Months…

  • National
    • BREAKING: Nigeria Bids Farewell as Former President Muhammadu Buhari Laid to…

      Gen Lucky Irabor and Muhammadu Buhari

      Beyond the Public Gaze: Gen Irabor’s Intimate Farewell to Buhari

      Tinubu Receives Buhari’s Remains in Katsina Ahead of Burial in Daura

      Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      Atiku, Osinbajo, Amaechi, Pantami, Others Storm Katsina for Buhari’s Final Rites

      JUST IN: VP Shettima Arrives Katsina With Late Ex-President Buhari’s Body

    • Government
      • Gen Lucky Irabor and Muhammadu Buhari

        Beyond the Public Gaze: Gen Irabor’s Intimate Farewell to Buhari

        Kogi Confirms Arrest of Kidnappers’ Informants

        Late President Muhammadu Buhari

        Atiku, Osinbajo, Amaechi, Pantami, Others Storm Katsina for Buhari’s Final Rites

        JUST IN: VP Shettima Arrives Katsina With Late Ex-President Buhari’s Body

        Nigeria Engages US, UAE over New Visa Policies, Reaffirms Commitment to…

  • Security
    • Nigerian Police Force

      Police Nab Suspects Over Killing of Chinese National, Arrest 2 Others…

      Nigerian Police Force

      Lagos Police Arrest Suspected Armed Robber, Recover AK-49 Rifle

      Kogi Confirms Arrest of Kidnappers’ Informants

      Badaru and Matawalle

      Buhari’s Patriotism Will Never Be Forgotten — Ministry of Defence

      Police Officer

      Enugu Police Raid Firearms Factory, Recover 10 Guns

  • Features
    • Gen Lucky Irabor and Muhammadu Buhari

      Beyond the Public Gaze: Gen Irabor’s Intimate Farewell to Buhari

      Tribute to the Late Former President Buhari, By Vice Admiral Awwal…

      Customs boss, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi with NAFDAC DG Professor Moji Adeyeye

      Customs, NAFDAC and the Fight that Matters

      Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      The Passing of a Mighty Warrior by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode

      President Muhammadu Buhari

      Buhari in his Own Words By Kabir Akintayo

  • State
    • Nigerian Police Force

      Police Nab Suspects Over Killing of Chinese National, Arrest 2 Others…

      Nigerian Police Force

      Lagos Police Arrest Suspected Armed Robber, Recover AK-49 Rifle

      Kogi Confirms Arrest of Kidnappers’ Informants

      Nigeria Engages US, UAE over New Visa Policies, Reaffirms Commitment to…

      Crowned Prince Salman of Saudi Arabia

      ‎Saudi Arabia Mourns Buhari’s Death, Condoles Tinubu

  • Event
    • Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      Northwest Governors Mourn Buhari, Declare Tuesday Public Holiday

      Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      UPDATE: Buhari’s remain for burial Tuesday 2pm – Gov Radda

      Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Suleja

      NIPOST Appoints Ibrahim Musa Suleja Director of Corporate Communications

      Asiwaju Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo

      47 Years of Excellence: Honoring Asiwaju Awomolo, SAN

      NCoS inmates

      58 Inmates in Kano Sit for 2025 NECO Exams, Thanks to…

    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Home General Defection: Court Suspends Judgement on Saraki, 54 Others
  • General

Defection: Court Suspends Judgement on Saraki, 54 Others

By
Prnigeria
-
April 11, 2019
Senate President Bukola Saraki
Senate President Bukola Saraki

Defection: Court Suspends Judgement on Saraki, 54 Others

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja has suspended judgment in a legal action seeking the sack of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and 53 others over their defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last year.

The court suspended the verdict scheduled for delivery following the appearance of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mahmoud Magaji, who made a case of fair hearing for the national lawmakers.

Although Justice Abang expressed reservation on the inability of the legislators to defend the suit brought against them by a civil group, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, (LEDAP), he nontheless consented that since the lawmakers have woken from their slumber, it would be in the interest of justice to hear their own side of the story.

“The defendants had sufficient time to challenge this suit but failed. They allowed the plaintiff to incur cost to prosecute this matter and also allowed the court to painstakingly prepare judgment.

“They are now in court trying to arrest the judgment”, he said.

Abang however, maintained that notwithstanding what the plaintiff and the court had gone through, the right of the defendants to be heard was a fundamental matter.

“I think the defendants should be heard before judgment is given.

“It will be a breach of the fundamental right of the defendants to fair hearing, though they came late into the matter, for the court to proceed and deliver judgment.

“I will reluctantly suspend delivery of the judgment to allow the defendants to be heard,” the judge said.

In his ruling on an application moved by Mogaji, Justice Abang ordered the respondents to file their processes and served them on the plaintiff by Thursday and that the plaintiff upon receipt of the respondents processes must reply within five hours.

Justice Abang who fixed hearing in the matter till Friday, ruled that he had adjourned till today in view of the circumstances of the suit.

LEDAP had dragged Saraki and the 53 other lawmakers to court seeking a declaration that they were no longer members of the National Assembly having defected to other political parties before the expiration of their tenure.

The group, in their suit filed on Sept. 14, 2018, prayed the court for an interpretation of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.

Read Also:

  • Police Nab Suspects Over Killing of Chinese National, Arrest 2 Others in Plateau
  • BREAKING: Nigeria Bids Farewell as Former President Muhammadu Buhari Laid to Rest in Daura
  • Lagos Police Arrest Suspected Armed Robber, Recover AK-49 Rifle

This was with regards as to whether any member of the National Assembly who resigns from the political party that sponsored his election before the expiration of the term for which he was elected, automatically loses his seat in the assembly.

The group was also seeking a declaration that the lawmakers were no longer entitled to receive any remunerations due to a member of the National Assembly and that any of such remunerations after their date of defection be refunded to the Federal Government.

LEDAP in the suit, also prayed the presiding members of the National Assembly to declare vacant, the seats of the defectors.

They had argued the matter in court with only a counsel to the Senate President being represented once while the other defendants never sent representation.

The court, being satisfied that the processes were served on all parties but they chose to disrespect the court and stay away, allowed the plaintiff to argue his case and fixed April 11 for judgment.

When the matter was called on Thursday for judgment, counsel to Saraki and the other lawmakers, Mr. Mahmud Magaji, (SAN) urged the court to tarry in delivering judgment to hear from the defence team in order to deliver a better informed judgment.

“The court should wait a while and hear from the other side now that certain facts are available to it.”

He further contented that in law, once an issue of jurisdiction was raised, it behoved on the court to hear it first before handling any other issue in the matter.

Magaji also challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter on the grounds that the plaintiffs had no “locus standi” to file the suit.

According to him, they are only busy bodies and meddlesome interlopers.

The counsel to the plaintiff, Mr. Ede Uko, however, argued that the defendant’s counsel was only attempting to arrest the judgment of the court.

According to him, the law is trite under our jurisprudence that the judgment, particularly the final judgment of the court cannot be arrested.

“I submit with respect that the application of the defendants seeking to arrest this judgment is misconceived and completely incompetent.

He referred the court to several Supreme Court rulings where it was firm to say that no antics of parties could be allowed to be used to frustrate the administration of justice.

Uko further argued that the conduct of the defence in the matter was not worthy of sympathetic consideration since they were duly served with all processes of the court and they even briefed a counsel to handle the matter.

He said it was not the fault of the plaintiff that the said counsel failed to appear in court again seeing that the defence had nothing to file but to concede to the claims of the plaintiff.

By PRNigeria

VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
  • TAGS
  • Abubakar Bukola Saraki
  • Court
  • Defection
Previous articlePolice Nab 46 Kidnappers, Eliminate 10 Others in a Week
Next articleKwara Police Command Reacts to Rumours of Terrorists in Helicopter
Prnigeria
Prnigeria
http://www.PRNigeria.com

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Nigerian Police Force

Police Nab Suspects Over Killing of Chinese National, Arrest 2 Others in Plateau

Nigerian Police Force

Lagos Police Arrest Suspected Armed Robber, Recover AK-49 Rifle

Late President Muhammadu Buhari

Atiku, Osinbajo, Amaechi, Pantami, Others Storm Katsina for Buhari’s Final Rites

JUST IN: VP Shettima Arrives Katsina With Late Ex-President Buhari’s Body

Nigeria Engages US, UAE over New Visa Policies, Reaffirms Commitment to Diplomatic Ties

Crowned Prince Salman of Saudi Arabia

‎Saudi Arabia Mourns Buhari’s Death, Condoles Tinubu

Military Troops in Action

Troops Ambush Bandits, Eliminate 2, Recover Arms in Plateau

Late President Muhammadu Buhari

Nation Mourns as AGF Fagbemi and CJN Kekere-Ekun Laud Buhari’s Legacy

Kano Police Arrest 28 Suspects, Seize Dangerous Weapons

Kano Gov Appoints Yusuf Sharada Special Adviser on Digital Economy

Secretary to the Government of the Federation

SGF Akume Leads Presidential Committee for Buhari’s State Funeral

Police Arrest 6 Suspected Armed Robbers in Benue, Recover Firearm, Motorcycle

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Log in to leave a comment

Recent Posts

  • Police Nab Suspects Over Killing of Chinese National, Arrest 2 Others in Plateau
  • BREAKING: Nigeria Bids Farewell as Former President Muhammadu Buhari Laid to Rest in Daura
  • Lagos Police Arrest Suspected Armed Robber, Recover AK-49 Rifle
  • Beyond the Public Gaze: Gen Irabor’s Intimate Farewell to Buhari
  • Kogi Confirms Arrest of Kidnappers’ Informants
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
© 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
Latest News
Police Nab Suspects Over Killing of Chinese National, Arrest 2 Others in PlateauBREAKING: Nigeria Bids Farewell as Former President Muhammadu Buhari Laid to Rest in DauraLagos Police Arrest Suspected Armed Robber, Recover AK-49 RifleBeyond the Public Gaze: Gen Irabor's Intimate Farewell to BuhariKogi Confirms Arrest of Kidnappers’ InformantsTinubu Receives Buhari’s Remains in Katsina Ahead of Burial in DauraAtiku, Osinbajo, Amaechi, Pantami, Others Storm Katsina for Buhari’s Final RitesJUST IN: VP Shettima Arrives Katsina With Late Ex-President Buhari’s BodyNigeria Engages US, UAE over New Visa Policies, Reaffirms Commitment to Diplomatic TiesFACT-CHECK: Was Sheikh Emami al-Hadi Arrested in Iran for Being a Mossad Spy?‎Saudi Arabia Mourns Buhari's Death, Condoles TinubuBuhari’s Patriotism Will Never Be Forgotten — Ministry of DefenceEnugu Police Raid Firearms Factory, Recover 10 GunsTroops Ambush Bandits, Eliminate 2, Recover Arms in PlateauTribute to the Late Former President Buhari, By Vice Admiral Awwal Z Gambo (Rtd) CFR
X whatsapp