The Senate Unity Forum (SUF) yesterday vowed to forge ahead with its legal battle against Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.
Other defendants in the alleged Standing Order forgery suit are the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Clerk of the Senate, the Senate and the National Assembly.
Senators Suleiman Hunkuyi, Kabir Garba Marafa, Abu Ibrahim, Robert Ajayi Boroffice and Gbenga Ashafa insisted that their case before the Federal High Court, Abuja should go on.
The Forum, in a statement by its counsel, Mamman Mike Osuman (SAN), against the backdrop of reports that the SUF withdrew its suit on the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Orders 2015, made its position public.
There were reports on Tuesday that Justice Ademola Adeniyi of the Federal High Court struck out the suit by the five Senators on behalf of the Senate Unity Forum (SUF).
The counsel to the SUF, Mamman Mike Osuman (SAN), said it was “erroneous and mischievous” to claim that the suit by the five senators had been withdrawn.
He added that it was the first suit filed by Senator Anthony Adeniyi, who was in the 7th Senate, that was withdrawn to avoid abuse of court process.
He said: “Despite the legal possibility that the suit discontinued by Sen. Anthony Adeniyi could be re-filed, the media should have been more specific about the case withdrawn.
“Contrary to the misinformation put out there, we hereby confirm that the originating summons in suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/651/2015 filed at the instance of the above-named senators against Saraki, Ekweremadu and the National Assembly.
“The above particularised suit differs in contents from that of Sen. Adeniyi as can be distilled from their respective grounds, reliefs sought, affidavit evidence, parties and declarations sought.”
Osuman insisted that the prayers sought by the five senators in the originating summons were still subsisting.
He said the plaintiffs maintained their position that the election of Saraki and Ekweremadu was “illegal, irregular and non-sustainable because the Senate Standing Orders (2011) was not amended in the manner stipulated by Rules 110 of the 2011 Senate Standing Orders to produce the purported document titled: Senate Standing Orders 2015 (as amended).”
The senators urged the court to prevent Saraki and Ekweremadu from “proceeding with the constitution of committees and appointment of chairmen and deputy chairmen of committees respectively”.
He said the demands of the Senate Unity Forum are as follows:
- The Senate Standing Orders 2011(as amended) was not amended in manner stipulated by Rules 110 of the 2011 Senate Standing Orders to produce the purported document titled “Senate Standing Orders 2015(as amended);
- The purported election which produced Saraki and Ekweremadu as President and Deputy President of the Senate respectively are illegal, irregular, and non-sustainable;
- That Saraki, Ekweremadu, the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Clerk of the Senate wrongfully relied on the Senate Standing Orders 2015 (Exhibit “B”) in electing the President and Deputy President of the 5th Defendant (Senate);
- That Saraki and Ekweremadu still seek to abide by these contrived Rules which are at variance with the valid, regular and subsisting Senate Standing Orders 2011(as amended); and
- The instant suit seeks not only the reversal of the illegal elections and appointments but also to restrain Saraki, Ekweremadu and the Senate from proceeding with the constitution of committees and appointment of chairmen and deputy chairmen of committees.
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