A federal high court in Abuja has issued an order restraining all parties involved in the suit filed by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and three others from speaking to the press about matters related to the case.
Binta Nyako, the presiding judge, issued the order on Friday
following a complaint by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, lawyer to Akpabio, that the
plaintiff (Akpoti-Uduaghan) had been appearing on various television stations
to discuss the ongoing suit.
In a brief ruling, Justice Nyako directed that all parties
and their lawyers must refrain from granting press interviews related to the
case.
She also prohibited the streaming of court proceedings on social media platforms.
BACKGROUND
Akpoti-Uduaghan had filed a suit to stop the senate
committee on ethics and public petitions from instituting disciplinary
proceedings against her.
On March 4, the judge issued an order restraining the senate
from commencing disciplinary proceedings against Akpoti-Uduaghan following an
ex parte application filed by counsels to the senator.
The judge ruled that the defendants should come and show
cause within 72 hours, upon the service of the order, why an interlocutory
injunction should not be issued against them.
Two days after the judgment, the senate suspended the Kogi
senator for six months over alleged gross misconduct. The decision followed the
adoption of the report by the committee on ethics, privileges and public
petitions.
On March 19, Obiora Egwuatu, presiding judge, vacated his
March 4 order restraining the senate from suspending the Kogi senator.
At the resumed court session on March 25, Egwuatu announced
his decision to recuse himself from the case after taking the appearance of
lawyers for the parties in the suit.
Egwuatu disclosed that his decision was because of an
allegation of bias against him by Akpabio.
He ordered that the case file be transferred to John Tsoho,
the chief judge of the federal high court, for reassignment. The case was then
reassigned to Nyako.
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