Court rules on appointment of Senate minority leader Wednesday

A Federal High Court has fixed Wednesday for ruling on an ex parte application seeking an order to restrain the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and members of the Peoples Democratic Party caucus from the South-South in the Senate from appointing the Senate Minority Leader.

The plaintiffs -Alaye Pedro and Dr. Okechukwu Ibeh – who are also members of the PDP, want the restraining order to last till when their main suit ‎is heard and determined.

Pedro is a PDP member from Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers while Ibeh is a PDP member from Umukegwu/Umuodia LGA of Imo State.

Their suit is anchored on provision of Order 3(2) of Senate Standing Orders 2015 (as amended), which prohibits the appointment of a first time Senator into any position of the Senate’s principal officers.

‎From all indications, the suit is targeted at stopping the nomination or appointment of former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, a first time senator, who is from the South-South, the region to which the PDP had z‎oned the position.

The PDP, being the leading minority party in the Senate and in fact, in the House of Representatives, is in the position to present the Minority Leader of the Senate.

Arguing the plaintiffs’ ex parte application on Tuesday, their lawyer, Mr. B. J Akomolafe, referred the judge to a newspaper report which indicates that Akpabio had been tipped for the position of the Senate Minority Leader.

The newspaper report marked Exhibit D is part of the exhibits ‎filed along with the ex parte application and the main suit.

‎Saraki and Akpabio are the first and second respondents to the suit, which is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/602/2015.

The rest of the respondents are 16 PDP senators from the South-South and they include Senators Nelson Effiong‎, Bassey Albert, Emmanuel Paulker, Ogola Foster, Ben Murray Bruce, John Enoh, Gershom Bassey, Rose Oko, James Manager and Peter Nwaoboshi.

Others are Senators Ighoyota Amori, Clifford Ordia, Mathew‎ Urhoghide, George Sekibo, Olaka Nwogu, and Osinakchukwu Ideozu.