The Edo state house of assembly
has filed a suit to stop the national assembly from taking over its legislative
activities.
The suit was filed at the federal
high court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday.
The house of representatives had
asked Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police, to shut the state assembly
following the crisis that ensued after the inauguration of some lawmakers under
controversial circumstances.
Consequently, the senate gave
Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, a week ultimatum to issue a fresh proclamation
for the inauguration of the state assembly, a directive which the governor
ignored.
In the suit number
FHC/ABJ/CS/815/2019 filed by Francis Okiye, the speaker, and the state
assembly, the plaintiffs asked Nkeonye Maha, justice of the court, to restrain
the national assembly from going ahead with its plans pending the hearing on
the matter.
Defendants in the suit include
Mohammed Sani-Omolori, the clerk of the national assembly (first defendant),
and the national assembly of the federal republic of Nigeria (second
defendant).
The matter was first brought
before Maha on July 23, but was later adjourned to July 31, for hearing since
the parties were yet to be served.
However, on Wednesday, Ola
Olanipekun, the lead counsel to the plaintiffs, told the court that after the
defendants had been properly served as ordered by the court, the senate still
went ahead and passed a resolution for the takeover of the assembly if the
governor fails to comply with its resolution.
He explained that the defendants,
through their lawyers, had on Tuesday served the plaintiffs a counter affidavit
to their motion and written address and also filed a memorandum of conditional
appearance.
He said it was disheartening that
despite that the governor had already issued a proclamation which was duly
gazetted officially and that the members of the state assembly had duly been
inaugurated, principal members elected and the house has since been performing
its functions, the federal lawmakers directed Obaseki to issue a fresh
proclamation.
The judge adjourned the case
until August 7, to enable the complainants respond to the counter affidavit and
written address filed by lawyers to the national assembly.
Maha urged the parties to respect
the sanctity of the court as the matter was still pending in court.
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