The people of Kebbe/Tambuwal
Federal Constituency in Sokoto State, who are being represented by the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, on Monday
failed in their bid to become a party in a suit filed by Tambuwal to
stop his removal from office and as House member.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed in a ruling dismissed two separate
applications filed in the name of the constituents seeking to be joined
as defendants in the suit.
“This suit is unmeritorious and it is hereby dismissed,” he ruled.
One of the applications was jointly filed by Chairman of Kebbe
Local Government Area, Bala Konkani, and Chairman of Tambuwal Local
Government Area, Sambo Modo.
The other application was filed by three members of the Sokoto
State House of Assembly – Abdussamad Dasuki, Suleiman Hantsi, and
Shuaibu Umar, representing Tambuwal East, Tambuwal West and Kebbe
constituencies respectively.
The constituents are opposed to Tambuwal’s removal as Speaker and
member of the House of Representatives, arguing that removing him would
deprive them of representation in the House of Representatives.
But instead of seeking to be joined along with Tambuwal as plaintiffs, they had sought to be joined as co-defendants.
Before the court dismissed the two the applications on Monday,
Tambuwal had himself, through his lead counsel, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi
(SAN), opposed the applications on the grounds that he had chosen the
defendants he had claims against in the suit.
The existing defendants in the suit comprising the Peoples
Democratic Party, its National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu; the House
of Representatives, the Inspector-General of Police and the
Attorney-General of the Federation, had not opposed the application.
However, Justice Mohammed upheld Fagbemi’s contention in his ruling
on Monday, declaring that the plaintiff had not made any claim against
the applicants to warrant them being joined as a defendant.
The court also held that there was no common interest between the
applicants and the other defendants already on record that could form
the basis for joining them as co-defendants.
He added that it was evident that from the content of their
application their interest was at cross-purpose with that of the
defendants already on record.
The local government chairmen had filed their application dated
November 11, 2014, through their counsel, Mr. Israel Olorundare (SAN),
while the state legislators, had filed theirs dated November 12, 2014,
through Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN).
The substantive suit was adjourned till December 3 for hearing.
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