Senators in court to stop Saraki’s impeachment

Two senators have filed a suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to stop moves to impeach Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Senator Rafiu Adebayo (Kwara South) and Senator Isa Misau (Bauchi Central) are seeking an interlocutory injunction restraining the Senate from proceeding with the impeachment of Saraki.

In the suit filed yesterday by their counsel, Mahmoud Magaji (SAN), the lawmakers want the court to order maintenance of the status quo pending the conclusion of the matter before the court.

They want the court to hold that by Section 50(2)(c) of the 1999 Constitution the fact that the members of the Senate are 109 in number, “any number less than 72 out of the 109 members of the Senate cannot validly sit and remove the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria whether by impeachment or whatever name so called.”

In the suit, which joins the Senate, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) as defendants, the senators argue that Saraki cannot be compelled to vacate his office on the ground that he is not a member of the party with majority of Senators in the Senate.

The senators alleged that the siege on the National Assembly Complex on August 6 where Senators, House of Representative members and staff were not allowed access to the assembly “was to pave the way to few members of the Senate to sit and impeach the Senate President without recourse to the provisions of Section 50(2)(c) of the Constitution.”

Others joined as defendants in the suit are: the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawal (Senate Leader), Senator Bala Ibn Nallah (Deputy Senate Leader), Senator Emma Bwacha (Deputy Minority Leader), Clerk of the Senate, and Deputy Clerk of the Senate.

No date has been fixed for the hearing.