Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court Abuja, yesterday, threw out an application by Action Peoples Party in which it sought to join the election sequence suit instituted by Accord Party in respect of the 2019 election sequence.
Action Peoples Party had through its lawyer, Mr. Kingdom Okere, argued that its interest would be affected by the outcome of the matter, thereby urging the court to allow it join the case in the interest of justice.
However, in a bench ruling yesterday, Justice Mohammed held that the party had not disclosed any cause of action in its affidavit and as such dismissed the application for lacking in merit.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) said the party seeking to join the suit came with a defected affidavit and urged the court to dismiss it.
Earlier, the plaintiff , Accord Party through its lawyer, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), informed the court that he had fi led a written address to the originating summons all in a bid to underscore the seriousness attached to the suit.
On their part, the National Assembly, and Independent National Electoral Commission, represented by Joseph Daudu (SAN) and Femi Falana (SAN) respectively, urged the court to dismiss the joinder application of the Action Peoples Party on the ground that the party had not disclosed sufficient reason that its interest would be jeopardised if not joined as a party in the suit.
Daudu submitted that the judiciary was in the eye of the storm as a result of the preservative order by Justice Mohammed last week.
In his argument, Kingdom Okere, counsel to the Action Peoples Party, had prayed the court to allow it join the suit in the interest of justice, arguing that its interest as a political party would be jeopardised by the outcome of the matter.
After listening to the arguments of counsel to parties in the suit, Justice Mohammed, in a bench ruling dismissed the joinder application by the Action Peoples Party.
Justice Mohammed therefore adjourned the case to March 26 for hearing of the substantive suit.
