Suit seeking Senate President's removal stalls as judge transfers case to another judge

Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday, August 5, transferred a suit filed by some senators seeking to annul the election of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to another Judge.

Five APC senators, Abu Ibrahim, Kabiru Marafa, Ajayi Boroffice, Gbenga Ashafa, and Suleiman Hunyuki had filed the suit seeking nullification of the June 9 election of Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.

However, Justice Kolawole hands-off the case during Wednesday sitting, saying that he would not have sufficient time to hear the matter as his tenure as a vacation judge would end on Friday, August 7.

He, therefore, directed counsel to the plaintiffs to serve fresh hearing notices on all respondents.

The Judge adjourned the case to August 13, to be heard by Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who will replace him as vacation judge on August 10.

The plaintiffs had in their originating summons urged the court to declare the election of Saraki and Ekweremadu a nullity.

They argued that their election violated Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Rule 110 of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 as amended.

They further argued that the Senate Standing Orders 2015 upon which Saraki and Ikweremadu were elected was "invalid, illegal, unconstitutional and should, therefore, be set aside.’’