Court strikes out suit seeking sack of Deputy Senate President, Omo-Agege

…fines plaintiff N1.2m

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja, has dismissed a suit seeking the sack of Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege over alleged perjury.
The court, in a judgment yesterday held that the case instituted against Omo-Agege was a gross abuse of court process having been filed in several courts.
He held that the issue raised against Omo-Agege had already been laid to rest after Justice Othman Musa of the FCT High Court, delivered a judgment in the matter.
Consequently, the court awarded a N300, 000 cost against the plaintiff which must be paid to each of the four respondents.
A civil group, Incorporated Trustees of Empowerment for Unemployed Youths Initiative had on May 19, approached the court, asking for an order for the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return issued to Omo-Agege.
Also joined as defendants in the suit are the Clerk of the National Assembly, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/510/2020 filed by its lawyer, Mr Edward Omaga, the group also prayed the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining Omo-Agege from occupying the office of senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District and deputy senate president.
The group said its suit was based on the grounds that Omo-Agege was not a competent, fit and proper person to occupy such an office considering the conviction hanging over his neck.
The group predicated its suit on a judgment of the Department of the State Bar Court in Los Angeles, California, USA, delivered on Nov. 30, 1995, whereupon Omo-Agege was allegedly sentenced to jail and suspended from law practice for two years for felony involving moral turpitude, forgery of cheques amounting to $890 with which he intended to defraud the Bank of America, Ahined Mehone and Elpert Defrietas in violation of California penal code section 470.
The plaintiff prayed the court for interpretation of Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution; to determine whether by the combined interpretation of Section 68(1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution, the judgment of the Department of the State Bar Court sitting in Los Angeles, California, involving moral turpitude.
The plaintiff also prayed the court to award N500M damages against the clerk of the senate for accepting to declare Omo-Agege deputy senate president after his nomination and election on June 11, 2019.