Court Adjourns Impeached Kogi Deputy Governor’s Suit – TheNigerialawyer

The State High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State capital on
Monday adjourned hearing in the application brought by Simon Achuba
over his impeachment as the deputy governor of the state.

Achuba is seeking to join the Clerk of the State Assembly as a
co-defendant and for hearing on the originating summon.

Justice Richard Olorunfemi adjourned till January 15th as date
to rule on whether the Clerk has locus standi to be joined in the
matter and for the commencement of the hearing on the originating
summon.

It will be recalled that Achuba had challenged his impeachment
by the Kogi State Assembly and sought for relief of the court to
declare his impeachment as illegal and to be reinstated as the
rightful deputy governor of the state.

In their submission, counsel to the impeached deputy governor,
Jibrin Okutachi (SAN), in a 13-page counter affidavit, submitted
that the court should discountenance the application by the Clerk,
describing it as a breach of court order 11, rule 2, subsection 4,
and section 115 subsection 4 of the evidence act.

Okutachi described the Clerk of the House as an interloper. He
also described his application as a waste of the court’s time,
geared towards irritating the claimant. He urged the trial judge to
dismiss the application.

In reaction, counsel to the Clerk, Adetunde Oso described the
Clerk as the custodian of record of the Assembly. He added that his
seeking to be a party on the matter would help clear the air on the
exhibits submitted by the claimant.

Justice Olorunfemi, in his ruling described the matter as one
that is time bound, adding that he would ensure that the matter is
dispensed with within the time frame.

He then adjourned the matter for ruling on the motion for
joinder and hearing of the originating summons.

Subscribe ToNairalaw News!