Lawyers seek to join suit, as Northern Coalition asks court to order exit of S’East from Nigeria

A group of lawyers from the South-East have applied to join a suit filed by members of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) asking a Federal High Court in Abuja to compel the National Assembly to hasten the exit of the South-East geopolitical zone from Nigeria before the conclusion of the ongoing constitutional amendment.

The lawyers led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chuks Muoma, Ukpai Ukairo, Ebere Uzoatu and Obi Emuka, have applied to the court to join them as defendants in the suit.

The plaintiffs, led by Nastura Ashir Shariff, Balarabe Rufa’I, Abdul-Aziz Sulaiman and Aminu Adam, in a supporting affidavit, explained that their action was anchored on the need to contain violence and destruction as a result of the agitation for secession championed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

According to the plaintiffs, they do not want a repeat of the 1967 to 1970 civil war in Nigeria that cost the country millions of lives and property worth billions of naira.

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The Attorney General of the Federation, the Senate president, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly were listed as defendants in the suit.

However, the lawyers are asking for the order of the court to allow them join in the suit as representatives of the people of the south eastern region.

In their application for joinder filed by Victor Onweremadu in Abuja on Monday, the lawyers said the case of the CNG seeking the exit of South East from Nigeria had the capability to shape the life of the generations of Igbo people, adding that
they had interest to protect in the suit, hence, their request to be made defendants.

In their 12-paragraph affidavit in support of their application, the lawyers said the northern groups, in their suit, did not think it necessary to join the people of South East or their representatives to enable the court hear from them.

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