Trouble For Gbajabiamila As Court Okays Suit Against Him

There is trouble for  Femi Gbajabiamila, the sole candidate of the All Progressives Candidate for the Speakership of Nigeria’s   House of Representatives.Though the   8^th Assembly is expected to commence  Tuesday with a possible election  of the new speaker,a  Federal High Court  in Abuja  on Monday  okayed  a suit filed ‎by a  human rights group,  Registered Trustees of Social Justice and Civil Rights Awareness Iniative  aimed at stopping  Femi Gbajabiamila the the All Progressive Congress  APC candidate from emerging as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Mike Ozekhome SAN  had approached  the court   using  an exparte motion to pray on behalf of the group for an order of to stop Gbajabiamila from parading himself as a member of the House of Representatives  as well as  an aspirant for the office of the Speaker.

As the matter came up Monday, , Justice Abdul Kafarati ordered the plaintiff to put the defendants on Notice to come and show cause why the reliefs of the plaintiffs should not be granted.The suit was then  adjourned till June 18 for mention.

In the suit,  the plaintiff  argued that Gbajabiamila was convicted in the State of Georgia for unethical practices and  he was debarred ‎for 36 months. Thus the group is praying the court to declare that Gbajabiamila is not fit and proper person to be elected as a member of the House of Representatives and as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Equally,  the plaintiff also wants the court  issue an order  stopping the House of Representatives from accepting the nomination of Gbajabiamila as an aspirant for the office of the speaker of the House of Representatives.

The group also wants among others  an injunction restraining Gbajabiamila from parading himself as a member of the House of Representatives and also as an aspirant for the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Those listed defendants  aside from Gbajabiamila  include House of Representatives  as well as t Attorney General of the Federation.

It was not immediately clear whether he will still present himself as a candidate for election as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

But event before this latest legal tussle, the APC  members elect were not entirely united behind Gbajabiamila as the supporters of Yakubu Dogara had expressed  their rejection of the APC sole candidate.

How the drama will play out as the House convenes remains to be seen.