A High Court sitting in Abuja has stopped Senate President Bukola Saraki from declaring the seat of former Minority Leader of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, vacant.
Justice Othman Musa on Wednesday also ordered Saraki not to impede Akpabio’s access to the Senate building or take any action aimed at “overreaching his privileges and rights as a Senator pending the determination of the originating Summons of the applicant.”
Justice Musa ordered service of the originating summons and other processes on Saraki through either the Clerk of the National Assembly, Clerk of the Senate or any other Clerk or reasonable staff of the National Assembly at the assembly complex.
The orders were made after an ex parte application by Akpabio’s lawyers, Chikaosolu Ojukwu and Ebere Ahanonu, seeking to stop moves to declare his seat vacant following his defection from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The suit has been adjourned till August 29 for further hearing.
The 55-year-old former governor of Akwa Ibom formally defected from the PDP to the APC at a mega rally held at the Ikot Ekpene township stadium on August 8.
