A Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to stop the police from its investigation on Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and others over an alleged forgery of the 2015 Senate Standing Rules, The Nation reports.
In a ruling yesterday, July 27, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, declined an ex-parte application filed by Senator Gilbert Emeka Nnaji, which he sought to restrain the police from making public the report of the inquiry.
Acting on a petition by Senator Sulaiman Hunkuyi of the All Progressives Congress, Kaduna state, the police had on July 6 interrogated Ekweremadu and Maikasuwa over an alleged forgery of the standing orders.
The petition alleged that some parts of the 2015 Senate Orders were different from the one ratified by the 6th Senate in 2010, which was used by the 7th Senate, as Standing Orders 2011.
The Police, on the strength of the petition, had subsequently interrogated the leadership of the 7th Senate, including former Senate President David Mark, his deputy (now Saraki’s deputy), Ike Ekweremadu, former Senate leader Victor Ndoma-Egba, and Senator Ita Enang, the former chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Maikasuwa, who is the custodian of the Senate Standing Order was also invited for questioning by the police.
Senator Nnaji before the hearing yesterday, had sought interim orders to restrain the defendants in the case pending the determination of his substantive suit, while the petitioner is challenging the constitutionality of the investigation within the context of the doctrine of separation of power.
However, Justice Kolawole said he could not grant the request sought by the plaintiff at ex-parte stage when his court possesses the power to conduct a judicial review of the action complained about in the substantive suit.
He refused the plaintiff’s request to shorten the time within which the defendants could respond saying the court’s rules allow defendants 30 days within which to respond.
According to him, a reduction in the period must be with the agreement of parties in the suit.
He ordered the defendants to appear on the next day and show cause why he should not grant the request sought by the plaintiff in his ex-parte application.
Justice Kolawole adjourned to August 4 for the defendants to show cause.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has been briefed by the police on their probe into the forged Standing Order of the Senate.
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