The absence of the judge presiding over a case against the National Assembly and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday stalled the sitting of the Federal High Court, Kano slated for December 20.
Residents of the Kiru/Bebeji federal constituency sued the National Assembly and Speaker Yakubu Dogara, challenging the legality of suspending their member, Abdulmumin Jibrin, from the National Assembly.
Mr. Jibrin was suspended after he publicly raised fraud allegations against Mr. Dogara and other officers of the House. He accused the officials of manipulating the budget figures illegally in a term popularly known as ‘budget padding.’
Speaking to journalists at the court, the lead counsel for Kofa constituency, Bashir Muqaddam, said the Judge, Idris Koko, had travelled out of the state for the Judges Conference, currently holding at the Federal Capital, Abuja.
He said after returning from the conference, the judges would proceed for the Christmas and New Year vacations.
According to him, the judges are expected to resume on January 19, 2017, while the case has been fixed for January18, 2017, for mentioning.
“Our prayer seeks that the sum of N2 billion be given to our client, Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa, as payment for damages to his reputation.
“When we resume on January 18, 2017, the case will come up for mentioning,” Mr. Muqaddam said.
He said the constituency was challenging the legality of Mr. Jibrin’s suspension by the House of Representatives.
“We want to know whether his whistle-blowing role in exposing how the 2016 budget was padded was in contradiction of any stipulated law of the land.
“Fundamentally, we want an immediate reinstatement of the suspended member and the court to also order for the payment of all his (Kofa’s) entitlements for the suspension period.’’
Also speaking, the lead complainant in the case, Ibrahim Tiga, assured Mr. Jibrin’s supporters who came to the court that they would follow the case to its logical conclusion.
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