Defection: Court fixes Feb 14 for hearing

A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday adjourned till February 14, 2014 to continue arguments on the Preliminary Objections and the substantive suit brought before it by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking to stop the lower chamber from altering the composition of its leadership.
The  trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola had, late last month stalled the move by the PDP lawmakers who had defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC) to alter the composition of the House leadership and further directed parties in the suit to maintain status quo.
The suit has the House of Representatives, its Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, other principal officers and its former members who defected to APC as defendants.
Justice Ademola had, at the last adjourned date ordered that the preliminary objections filed by the defendants in the suit would be heard together with the originating summons and when the matter came up yesterday, counsel representing the PDP, Yunus Ustaz Usman(SAN) moved his application seeking to stop the defendants from altering the House leadership.
Defendants’ lawyers, Mahmud Magaji, Sebastine Hon, James Ocholi, Niyi Akintola, Joseph Okutekpa, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), in their various submissions, urged the court to dismiss the plaintiff’s application, as it lacks the locus standi to institute the suit.
After listening to the objections of the defendants, the court adjourned till February 14, 2014 for continuation of hearing.