The Speaker of the House of Representatives Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, has challenged the jurisdiction of a federal high court sitting in Abuja, to hear a suit filed by the Spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Party, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, against the House of Representatives over the probe of 10 million US dollars bribery allegation.
The CUPP spokesman had alleged that the leadership of the house collected 10 million US dollars bribe from Bill Gate to pass he Infectious Disease Bill pending before the House.
But the leadership of the House in it’s response to the allegation set up committee to investigate it.
Ugochinyere on his part rushed to the court to stop the probe.
But Honourable Gbajabiamila, through his counsel, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, filed a preliminary objection to challenge the suit.
In the objection, Ajulo prayed the court for an order striking out or dismissing the Plaintiffs suit for lack of jurisdiction, adding that the suit is incompetent.
According to Ajulo, the entire suit does not also disclose any reasonable cause of action against the Respondents as the substance of the suit bothers the statutory and constitutional duty of the Defendants.
Apart from the Speaker, the 2nd respondent in the suit is the Clerk of the National Assembly.
He further told the court that the suit as presently constituted is pre-mature, adding that there is no cause of action.
When the case came up, the presiding judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, frowned at what he described as misrepresentation of facts in the matter.
After expressing his displeasure, he withdrew from the matter and returned the case file to the Chief Judge for re-assignment.
Justice Taiwo recently said that he did not stop the probe of $10m dollars bribery allegation made against the House of Representatives by the Spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties, Chief Imo Ikenga Ugochinyere.
The court made the clarification yesterday after media reports that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, was summoned by the court over the invitation of Ugochinyere, to appear before a committee of the House of Representatives to substantiate the allegation he made against the House.
Justice Taiwo, in his response expressed disappointment and added that he never made any order asking the Speaker to appear before the court.
He said some persons are trying to use the media to mislead members of the public in respect of this case.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo emphatically stated that he hasn’t made any order against the Speaker nor asked the Speaker to be brought before the court.
