The
Federal High Court sitting, Abuja, on Tuesday, granted an ex-parte order to
paste hearing notices on former speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu
Dogara, in his office.
The
Incorporated Trustees of United Global Resolve for Peace Organization filed a
suit challenging the defection of Dogara from the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC) and seeking his removal from the
National Assembly.
Following
a motion by the plaintiff, that Dogara, who represents Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa
Balewa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State, had frustrated efforts to
personally serve him with court processes, Justice Okon Abang granted the order.
Other
defendants in the suit include the PDP, APC, Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the
Attorney General of the Federation as 2nd to 6th defendants respectively.
The
group, which filed the motion through its counsel, Michael Okejimi, sought for
an order of the court “granting the plaintiff/applicant leave to serve the 1st
defendant/respondent in this suit by substituted means, to wit; by pasting
copies of the originating summons, hearing notices and all other processes
filed and purposed to be filed in this case at his office at the National
Assembly Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja, all attempts to serve the 1st
Defendant/Respondent personally having failed.”
The
plaintiff had, on Aug. 4, 2020, prayed the court to declare vacant, Dogara’s
seat at the House of the Representatives.
He
had also urged the court to order the INEC to conduct a bye-election to fill
the vacant seat.
The
suit came after Dogara had defected back to the ruling APC on July 24, 2020,
having accused the PDP leadership in his state of mismanaging public funds and
bad governance.
But
the group is querying why he left a party under which he got re-elected into
the lower house.
Shortly
after the court order on Dogara, his counsel, Isiaka Kadiri, told the judge
that he actually came to collect the court processes for his client.
“My,
Lord, even though we are here to come to court to collect the processes on his
behalf, I have no objection for trial date,” he said.
But
Justice Abang, who agreed with the plaintiff’s motion, told Kadiri that it was
his client that should be served.
“You
can’t serve counsel with originating summons, the proper thing has been done,”
the judge said.
Justice
Abang, who adjourned the matter until Feb. 5 for hearing, ordered that hearing
notices should be issued on the second to sixth defendants.
NAN
reports that the PDP, in a separate suit, is also asking for the sack of Dogara
before the court.
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