The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Tuesday, August 28, rejected an application seeking to suspend plans by some senators to remove Dr. Bukola Saraki as the Senate President.
Since he defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in July, calls for his removal have intensified, with some senators warning him to resign willingly or he will be forcefully ejected.
However, in an application brought before the court by two senators, Isa Misau and Rafiu Adebayo, the applicants are seeking the court to allow a motion ex-parte compelling the National Assembly members to maintain status-quo, pending the determination of their substantive application in court.
Represented in court by their lawyers Emeka Etiaba and Mahmoud Magaji, the senators mainly want the court to determine whether Mr Saraki’s defection amounts to a reason for his removal under the law in a list of applications dated August 27.
“We pray for this preservative order to send a signal to those who may want to truncate the leadership of the Senate. At least, let them know that there is a subsisting order of court on the matter”, Etiaba pleaded.
But in his ruling on the applications, the presiding judge, Nnamdi Dimgba, granted the last two applications but opted to ensure an accelerated hearing of the main application, rather than allowing the motion ex-parte requested by the plaintiffs.