The Federal High Court sitting in Minna, Niger State and presided by Justice Aminu Garba has adjourned the pre-election suit instituted by Haruna Arafat Magaji for judgement.
Magaji had challenged the qualification of former member of the House of Representatives, Abubakar Lado to contest in any of the stages of election into the seat of Suleja/Gurara/Tafa federal constituency.
The case was instituted ahead of the 2023 general election and during the hearing of the plaintiff’s originating summons, the counsel to the first and second defendants, Abubakar Lado and All Progressives Congress (APC) Chris Osuagu challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case of the plaintiff, Haruna Arafat Magaji.
The defence counsel argued that even though the Appeal Court removed Abubakar Lado from the Niger State House of Assembly as a member representing Suleja in 2007, another Appeal Court judgement in 2015 corrected that of 2007.
He also argued that the matter which is criminal in nature cannot be determined by way of originating summons while submitting that the case is statute-barred.
In response to the defence’s preliminary objection, the plaintiff’s lead counsel Mahmud Abubakar Magaji, SAN submitted that Abubakar Lado tendered a forged document to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and lied on INEC form EC9 that he had never submitted a forged document.
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