Court restrains Saraki from declaring Akpabio’s seat vacant

Senate President Bukola Saraki has been ordered not to declare the seat of former Minority Leader of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, vacant.

The order was given by a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court following an ex parte application by Akpabio’s lawyers, Chikaosolu Ojukwu and Ebere Ahanonu.

Akpabio had in the application through his counsels, prayed the court to stop moves to declare his seat vacant following his defection from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The presiding judge, Justice Othman Musa, who gave the order on Wednesday also asked the president of the Senate not to impede Senator Akpabio’s access to the Senate building or take any action aimed at “overreaching his privileges and rights as a senator pending the determination of the originating summons of the applicant.”

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He then ordered service of the court papers on Saraki through the Clerk of the National Assembly, Clerk of the Senate or any other Clerk or reasonable staff of the National Assembly at the assembly complex.

The suit was subsequently adjourned to August 29 for further hearing.

 

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