Forged Senate Elections: Inspector-General Of Nigerian Police To Appear Before Court

Solomon Arase, the inspector-general of the Nigerian police, has been ordered to appear on Thursday before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in connection with the investigation of the alleged forgery of the 2015 Standing Order of the Senate.

 

                                                 IGP Solomon Arase

In his ex parte application, Gilbert Nnaji, the senator representing Enugu east senatorial district, sought to restrain the IGP and the attorney-general of the federation, who are the two respondents to the suit, from taking further steps on the investigation of the alleged forgery.


Justice Gabriel Kolawole held that he could not grant the restraining order at the level of ex parte hearing, since it was the same issue the plaintiff canvassed in their substantive suit. He held that, before the the decision on the ex parte are made, the IG and the AGF must appear in court to give their reasons why the prayers sought by the plaintiff should not be granted.

“The court is a bit wary on an ex parte proceeding to allow the plaintiff [Nnaji] to have his day in court because the courts are not created or established to supervise the National Assembly in the way and manner it will run its own constitutional duties, except where its acts border on a substantial infraction of the constitution, which goes beyond its own internal rules or procedure, or the application of its standing order,” Justice Kolawole said.

“To do otherwise is to work to subvert the hallowed constitutional principles of separation of powers upon which the machinery of government is proposed to be run and to be operated.

“My decision is not to make orders directing both parties to maintain status quo as it is often misinterpreted by both parties. Rather, I will direct that the defendants, who had already been served with the originating summons, and the plaintiff’s motion of notice, shall on the return date, show cause why the orders being sought by the plaintiff on his motion ex parte dated and filed on 23-07-15, shall not be granted.”

The judge also holds the involvement of the police, which is an agency of the executive arm of government, in the forgery case (by inviting for questioning, certain members of the Senate) as worrisome.

Last Sunday, reports emerged of the police probe into the forged Standing Order of the Senate, confirming that the standing rules used to inaugurate the eighth Assembly and elect Senate president Senator Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, were forged.
Ekweremadu is representing Enugu-West, while Nnaji, the plaintiff, is from Enugu-East.