12th July, 2023
By NKRUMAH BANKONG-OBI/Lafia
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, the nation’s capital, has ordered the factional speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Balarabe Abdullahi and his deputy, Jacob Ajegena to desist from exercising any right as the presiding officers of the Assembly.
The order which is a reinforcement of a previous order, has mandated Balarabe Abdullahi and Jacob Ajegena from stop executing the office of speaker and deputy, respectively or risk serving a term in prison for contempt of court.
The judge made the order which is contained in order 9 rule 3 of the court, including a notice of consequences of disobedience to order of court made to the defendants, part of which reads: “that unless you, Hon. Ibrahim Balerabe Abdullahi and Hon. Kudu Ajegena Jacob obey the direction contained In the Order of the Federal High Court of Justice delivered on the 15th of June 2023, attached to this order, you will be guilty of contempt of court, and be committed to Prison.
the plaintiffs, Hon Oga Daniel Ogazi and the 12 elected members had approached the court seeking an order to restrain Balarabe Abdullahi and the ten members of his faction from taking any steps in furtherance of the proceedings they conducted on 6th June, 2023 within or outside the building complex or chambers of the Nasarawa state House of Assembly.
The court consequently granted the prayer and ordered the Balarabe to stop any other such legislative actions within or around the premises of the building complex of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly as proceedings of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly and from holding or conducting any business in the name of the House outside the building complex or chambers of Nasarawa State House of Assembly in the name of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The directive of the court is compelling the factional speaker to obey order of interim injunction restraining him and his loyalist from holding sitting in any way, acting in a manner as to be seen or recognized as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively of the Nasarawa or even conducting legitimate sitting of the House until the substantive suit is heard and determined by the presiding judge.
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has been embroiled in crisis of leadership since two factions emerged after the June 6, 2023 controversial proclamations.
Balarabe who has the backing of the State government reportedly has ten members in his group while Ogazi has 12.
For now, the legislature has been non-functional in the State until the cases in court are determined or resolved politically.