….as issue of service stalls hearing of case
… Justice Egwuatu adjourns matter to March 25
By Newsmata
ABUJA–The Senate President, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, has challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to hear the suit that was brought before it by the suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Senator Akpabio, through his team of lawyers led by Mr. Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, queried the powers of the court to meddle in the affairs of the Senate.
At the resumed proceeding in the matter on Monday, Ogunwumiju, SAN, noted that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had yet to effect proper service of the court processes to enable him to file the necessary application to challenge its competence.
Aside from Senator Akpabio who was cited as the 3rd defendant in the matter, equally joined in the suit are; the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate; and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.
Meanwhile, counsel to the plaintiff, Mr. Michael Numa, SAN, maintained that all the parties were duly served, even he drew attention of the court to affidavits of service that are already in its record.
After going through the affidavits of service before court, Justice Obiora Egwuatu confirmed that all the defendants were served.
At that juncture, Senator Akpabio prayed the court to grant a short adjournment for all the processes to be harmonised.
Following agreement of all the lawyers, Justice Egwuatu adjourned the matter to March 25, even as he ordered the parties to file and exchange all the necessary processes before the date.
It will be recalled that the court had on March 4, issued an interim order that stopped the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions from going ahead with the disciplinary proceeding that was initiated against the Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
However, despite the orders of the court, the Committee held its sitting and slammed the plaintiff with six months suspension.
The plaintiff is among other things, praying the court to declare any action the Committee took within the pendency of her suit, as, “null, void, and of no effect.” (Vanguard)