Urhobo people of Delta State have dragged the Nigerian Senate to Federal High Court in Abuja, asking for a reversal of the suspension slammed on Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, its representative at the upper chamber on Thursday.
The plaintiffs in the suit - Chief Alfred Okaka, Mr. Chris Agaga, Mr. Kingsley Okrikpo, Harrison Akpojarho, Manny Edu, Lyndon Ugbome, Moses Adegor and Godspower Emowhomuere - are seeking for an order to stop the Senate from denying the ethnic group representation in the upper chamber.
They prayed the court to hold, “that the rights of the people of Delta Central senatorial district to an unfettered representation in the legislative business of the Senate by Senator Omo-Agege constitutionally guaranteed for a tenure of four years cannot be abridged, diminuted, suspended, abrogated and or vitiated, except as stipulated by the 1999 Constitution (as amended.)”.
The plaintiffs are also asking the court to restrain Omo-Agege from appearing before any committee of the Senate to defend himself on his claim that President Muhammadu Buhari is the target of the bill to amend the Electoral Act.
They want the court to declare that “under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the plaintiffs’ elected senator (Omo-Agege), representing Delta Central senatorial district cannot be made to vacate office other than as provided for by sections 68 and 69 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
They also want the court to make a declaration that the Senate has no power under the 1999 Constitution as amended to suspend from office any senator and in particular, the 8th Defendant representing the Plaintiffs and other constituents of Delta Central senatorial district in the Senate.”
Defendants in the suit are Senate President Bukola Saraki, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, the Senate, Clerk of the Senate, the Department of State Services, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Inspector- General of Police and Senator Omo-Agege.
The Senate suspended omo-Agege for 90 days yesterday over claims that a bill re-ordering the schedule of 2019 general election was aimed at President Muhammadu Buhari.