A Federal High Court, sitting in Osogbo, on Monday adjourned the hearing of the impeachment suit against the President, Muhammadu Buhari to December 17 following the plea of the counsel to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Barrister Uyi Obaihagbon, who sought the leave of the court for an adjournment.
The suit seeking to compel the National Assembly to begin impeachment proceedings against President Buhari was instituted by a human right lawyer, Kanmi Ajibola, and an activist, Sulaiman Adeniyi.
The duo of Ajibola and Adeniyi premised their prayer on the ground that the president failed to meet basic requirement to occupy the presidency seat.
It is recalled that during the last proceeding on Tuesday, October 30, 2018, Barrister Solomon Ogunlowo sought for adjournment of the matter to enable him to serve the applicants his response to the originating summons.
The applicants had written the upper and lower chambers, alleging the president of constitutional breached by contesting the election, won and sworn in without possessing the basic constitutional requirement which would have made him qualified to contest the election.
They contended that the president had violated the provision of Section 137(1)(i) of the 1999 Constitution by presenting a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to win the election that brought him as president.
However, when the matter came up for hearing on Monday, counsel to the Senate president, Obaihagbon, informed the court that he just received the originating process and sought the permission of the court to allow him to respond to the processes served on his client, pleading with the court to give him a week to file the process and serve the parties involved.
But, counsel to the applicants, Samuel Echeonwu told the court that he had served all the respondents and ready for the hearing of the substantive suit, adding that his clients have responded to the 4th and 5th respondents preliminary objection and sought the permission of the court to serve the parties.
The 4th and 5th respondents, Mr President and Attorney General of the Federation, were represented by Solomon Ogunlowo while the Speaker, House of Representatives was represented by Felix Ukaegbu, while the 3rd respondent, the National Assembly, had not been represented by any counsel since the beginning of the matter.
The presiding judge, Justice Maureen Onyetenu subsequently directed the parties in the matter to ensure filing and service of their processes before the next proceeding, just as she adjourned the matter to December 17 for hearing.