Speakership: Court adjourns suit seeking Gbajabiamila’s disqualification

A Federal High Court, on Friday, adjourned until  June 14 for further mention a suit challenging the nomination of Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, a member of the House of Representatives vying for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th National Assembly.

Gbajabiamila was sued before the court in the suit with No. FHC/ABJ/CS/539/2019, by one Philip Undie, a businessman. Undie is challenging the eligibility of Gbajabiamila to contest for the speakership of the house on the grounds that he has a criminal allegation in the state of Georgia, U.S. Gbajabiamila is one of the leading candidates vying for the position. Other respondents/defendants in the suit are: the House of Representatives, the Attorney General of the Federation and the All Progressives Congress (APC). At the resumed sitting of the court, Justice Inyang Ekwo, adjourned the matter at the instance of the first defendant’s counsel, Mr. Adebowale Kamoru who informed the court that he had just been served with court process that morning. Kamoru pleaded with the court to grant an adjournment to enable him study the process since he was just served. “We have undertaken to collect the service of the originating process on behalf of the first defendant, the first defendant has now been served. We will study the process and respond appropriately.” Earlier, the plaintiff’s counsel, Mr. Olasupo Azeez, informed the court that there was a pending application of the plaintiff seeking for the leave of the court to serve the defendant the originating process. ” The second respondent was served on May 31, we apply to withdraw the motion exparte in this matter having been undertaken by event “We also urged the court to refused the applicant party seeking to be join in the suit on the ground that they have not shown why they are seeking to be joined in this matter,” Azeez prayed. Justice Ekwo however granted the adjournment and adjourned the suit till June 14 for further mention. (NAN)