Reps crisis: Suit against Dogara, Lasun adjourned to August 12

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Wednesday, fixed August 12 to commence hearing on the suit against the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara and his Deputy, Mr. Yusuf Lasun.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole okayed the suit for hearing ‎on a day he declined to void the appointment of principal officers for the House.

The suit was lodged before the court by two ‎members of the House of Reps- Mr. Abubakar Lado-Abdullahi from Niger State and Mr. Olajide Abdul-Jimoh from Lagos State.

‎The plaintiffs who are both members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had gone before the court to obtain an interim order of injunction against Dogara, Lasun and the Clerk to the House of Representatives, Mr. Mohammed Sani-Omolori.

They had by way of a motion ex-parte they filed on July 24, prayed the court ‎to restrain Dogara from appointing principal officers outside the names that were recommended to the House by the APC.

The duo specifically urged the court to determine whether Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution which deals with the Principle of Federal Character, is applicable to the sharing of principal offices in the National Assembly.

According to them, “It is an indisputable fact that the positions in question are party positions; that is, principal offices of the APC, albeit that they concomitantly are also principal positions within the House of Representatives.

“Consequently, the 1st and 2nd Defendants (Speaker and Deputy Speaker) shall in accordance with Article 9.2 of APC Constitution, which states, ‘members of the party shall be obligated to affirm the party’s aims and objectives’, implement the party’s aims as contained in the party’s nomination letter”.