The crisis rocking the Nigerian Governors’
Forum (NGF) took a fresh dimension at an Abuja High Court yesterday when two
Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Chief Tayo Oyetibo and Paul Erokoro tussled
over who holds the brief of the factional chairman of the forum and Plateau
State Governor Jonah Jang.
Also another SAN, Chief Awa Kalu tussled over
the brief of the trustees of the forum with a junior lawyer, F.N. Nwosu.
The Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola
(SAN) had sued Jang and three others at an Abuja High Court claiming that he
(Jang) could not claim to be the chairman of the forum after the Rivers State
Governor, Rotimi Amaechi was re-elected as chairman of NGF on Friday, May 24,
2013.
But Jang, in a preliminary objection filed
last Friday by Oyetibo on his behalf, asked the Court to dismiss the suit on
the grounds that Fashola lacked the locus standi to institute the action.
When the matter came up yesterday, Prof. Yemi
Osinbajo (SAN) leading Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) announced appearance for Fashola.
But confusion started when it was the turn of
the defendants to enter appearances, as Oyetibo and Erokoro both made separate
appearance for Jang (1st defendant) and Osaro Onaiwu (3rd defendant), while
Kalu and Nwosu made separate appearances for Asishana Bayo Okauru and the
Registered Trustees of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum as 2nd and 4th defendants
respectively.
Consequently, the feuding lawyers prayed the
court for a stand down to enable them resolve their differences, but Osinbajo
opposed a stand down and rather urged the court to strike out the preliminary
objection by Jang’s lawyers.
The plaintiff’s lawyer argued that what transpired
was an abuse of court process and the only way the court could handle the
matter was to strike out the preliminary objection.
In his ruling, Justice Peter Affen held that
it had not reached the stage of striking out the suit and added that he would
not grant a stand down.
The case has been adjourned to July 3.
Source:
Leadership
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