Alleged forgery: Court to rule on Saraki’s motion November 17

An Abuja division of the Federal High Court will on November 17 determine whether or not the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, will be joined in a case of alleged forgery currently before the court.

Mr. Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, made an application on Tuesday, before Justice Gabriel Kolawole, seeking to be joined as plaintiffs in a motion by a Senator, Gilbert Nnaji.

The motion is challenging a police report on investigations conducted into the case of alleged forgery of the senate standing rules, against Messrs. Saraki and Ekweremadu.

Mr. Gilbart had asked the court to set aside the police report on the grounds that the alleged infraction was an in-house matter, which the National Assembly had the constitutional mandate of resolving.

He alleged that the report was inspired by a petition from the secretary of the senate unity forum, Suleiman Hunkuyi, and four other senators for the sole aim of incriminating the Senate President.

At Tuesday’s session, Mr. Saraki’s lawyer, Paul Erokoro, said Messrs Saraki and Ekweremadu would like to be joined in the suit, filed by another of his client, Mr. Nnaji.

“The applicants have a substantial interest in the relief sort,” said Mr. Erokoro, who noted that he would be representing Mr. Nnaji, and the senate leaders.

The judge, Mr. Kolawole, fixed November 17 to rule on the said application.

Since the application was filed in July, 2015, Mr. Nnaji had remained the plaintiff, while the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, were the defendants respectively.

Mr. Hunkuyi had asked to be joined in the matter, but his application was struck out when his lawyers failed to attend court session to move his motion.