Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday struck out the suit filed by the embattled former Chairman, Appropriation Committee of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin, challenging his suspension from the House of Representatives.
The striking of the suit by the court followed Jibrin’s application for discontinuance of the matter filed through his lawyer, Chukwuma Nwachukwu dated October 11, 2016.
Nwachukwu prayed the court on Friday, when the case came up to discontinue with the hearing of the case.
Kalu Onuorah, representing the House of Representatives and thirteen other defendants in the matter did not oppose the application of discontinuance of the matter, but however asked for a cost N200, 000.00 on the ground that the defendants had filed processes and had put in a lot in the matter.
Justice Tsoho, in a short ruling struck out the matter and declined to award cost.
In the application for discontinuance of the suit earlier filed against the Speaker and thirteen others, Jibrin’s lawyer informed the court that a fresh originating summons has been filed.
Jibrin, has however filed a fresh N1 billion suit seeking damages for his suspension.
In the new suit, he is asking the court to declare that his suspension is a violation of his fundamental human right to freedom of expression and also prayed the court to declare that the resolution passed by the House of Representatives suspending him is in breach of the provisions of Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
He is also seeking an order of injunction restraining the House of Representatives from preventing him from participating in the Committees of the House or accessing the legislative chambers to perform his legislative duties.
Hearing of the fresh suit filed by the embattled former Chairman, Appropriation Committee of the House of Representatives has been scheduled to commence on the twenty-second of November 22, 2016.
Jibrin’s suspension was a fallout of his campaign since July for the removal of the House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, and other principal officers of the House over allegation that they padded the 2016 budget with about N40 billion.
and then