Suspension: Court fixes April 28 to hear Jubrin’s suit

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed April 28, 2017 to hear the suit filed by the erstwhile Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Jibrin Abdulmumin, challenging his continued suspension from the House.

The trial Judge, Justice John Tsoho okayed the matter for hearing on Thursday when he declined to join the Chairman, House Committee on Ethics, Hon. Nicholas Ossai and the lawmaker that moved the motion that led to the plaintiff’s suspension, Hon. Orker-Jev Emmanuel, as interested parties in the suit.

The two lawmakers had in a joint application they filed before the court, sought to be allowed to file processes against the suit.

Jubrin,  in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/Bl2/2015, cited the Speaker of the House of Reps, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, the House of Reps itself and its Clerk, as the 1st to 3rd defendants.

Meanwhile, before the court commenced hearing on the matter, both Ossai and Emmanuel approached the court, seeking to be joined as co-defendants in the matter.

They prayed the court to order Jubrin to amend the Originating Summons to include their names, saying their conduct as House of Reps member have been impugned and called into question in the suit.

“The Applicants have the constitutional right to be heard in this suit because of the allegations made against them by the Plaintiff.

“The Applicants’ interest as members of the House of Representatives and the interests of their constituents will be affected by the outcome of the present proceedings if the allegations made by the Plaintiff are not challenged by the Applicants”, the argued.

However, in his ruling, Justice Tsoho held that the matter could be effectively determined without participation of the applicants.

The Judge held that the Applicants are agent of the House which is a principal party in the suit, adding that the two lawmakers could not disclose personal injury they stood to suffer or sufficient interest in the suit to warrant their inclusion as a party in the proceeding.

Consequently, he dismissed their application and adjourned for the plaintiff to move his Originating Summons, as well as to hear preliminary objections the defendants filed to challenge the competence of the suit.