Politics
Remove yourself from our matter, Makarfi, others tell Justice Abang
The Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has asked Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja, to hands off the case involving the party and its embattled factional chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
Markarfi and the other defendants in the case brought by Sheriff and others, Wednesday, informed Justice Abang to stand down on the case and allow the Court of Appeal decide on the three appeals pending before it.
It would be recalled that Justice Abang had, on August 15, given an injunction stopping the PDP from holding its national convention and barring it from conducting elections into party offices.
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The defendants, through their counsel, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, said the judge lacked jurisdiction to keep sitting on the matter, insisting that he had been previously notified that three appeals had been entered into at the Court of Appeal.
“Once an appeal has been entered, the court below ought to stand aside and allow the Court of Appeal to have the opportunity to exercise its jurisdiction on the matter”, Ukala submitted.
Counsel to plaintiffs, Chief Niyi Akintola, SAN, however countered Ukala, urging Justice Abang to ignore the appellants and go ahead with the substantive suit.
According to Akintola, nothing stops the hearing of the three appeals and the substantive suit before the High Court simultaneously.
Justice, in his ruling adjourned to September 29 to rule on the issue.
By Timothy Enietan-Matthews…
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