Nigeria Content Online

Even as the Senate
yesterday commenced the screening of ministerial nominees sent by our
acting president, Goodluck Jonathan, hearing in a suit that Farouk
Aliyu, a former House of Representatives member filed, continued in
Abuja.

Mr. Aliyu, in the
suit, is challenging the resolution of the National Assembly that
sanctioned the elevation of Mr. Jonathan to acting president. He is
challenging the National Assembly’s resolution of February 9, and
asking that a Federal High Court declares it illegal. The defendants in
the suit include the acting president, Attorney General and Minister of
Justice, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Acting President Jonathan asked the court to dismiss the suit challenging his acting position.

The acting
president’s position is shared by the former Attorney General of the
Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Adetokunbo Kayode, who is the
fourth respondent in the suit.

The defendants,
including the Senate and the House of Representatives, told the court
that it would be in the interest of justice to strike out or dismiss
the suit.

They argued that it disclosed no cause of action, adding that it lacked locus standi.

Canvassing more
grounds upon which the court, presided over by Adamu Bello, should
throw out the suit, the former AGF in his notice of preliminary
objection, noted that the suit did not disclose any reasonable cause of
action. Besides, he prayed the court to dismiss the suit because there
was no dispute between the plaintiff, Mr. Jonathan and the AGF, even as
he asked the court to hold that the “suit is an abuse of court process”.

Similarly, Ken
Ikonne, who also challenged the suit on behalf of the Senate,
emphasised that the plaintiff lacked locus standi in respect of the
suit.

But counsel to
plaintiff, Victor Kalu, prayed the court to declare the resolution of
the National Assembly on Jonathan as illegal and unconstitutional.

The case was adjourned to April 20, for further hearing.