Ade Adesomoju, Abuja

The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, ordered the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki; Senators Dino Melaye and Ben Murray-Bruce to immediately honour the invitation for questioning over their roles in the October 5, 2018 street procession staged in Abuja by the Peoples Democratic Party.

The three senators were part of the PDP leaders who led the protest which held some days after last year’s governorship election in Osun State was declared to have been won by the All Progressives Congress.


Alleging that the security agencies, including the Police, colluded with the APC to rig the earlier governorship election in Ekiti State and the one later held in Osun, the senators had led a protest to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s office in Abuja, demanding a free and fair election in 2019; and were on their way to the Force Headquarters when policemen dispersed them with teargas.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Okon Abang dismissed the fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by Saraki, Melaye and Murray-Bruce who had been invited by the Police to answer questions in relation to the protest.

The senators had sought the court’s order nullifying the October 6 and 8, 2018 letters of invitation by the Police.

They had also, in their suit filed on October 8, 2018, claimed that the Police invitation amounted to harassment, intimidation and an attempt by the Police to detain them unlawfully.

They prayed for, among others in the suit, the court’s declaration that the act of the Police dispersing their procession using tear gas was a violation of their various rights, and sought an order awarding them N500m as “exemplary and pecuniary damages.”

Justice Abang, in his judgment on Thursday, upheld the case made out by the Police by dismissing the applicants’ suit for lacking in merit and awarding the cost of N50,000 against the three applicants.

He held that a mere invitation by the Police, which are empowered by Section 4 of the Police Act to detect and investigate crimes, could never amount to harassment or intimidation.

Abang further held that the Police, having alleged in their response to the suit that the PDP procession was dispersed following the protesters’ riotous and criminal conduct, the law enforcement agency had the power to invite suspects for questioning.

He ruled that the Police invitation extended to them remained valid and subsisting, adding that it was the outcome of their honouring the invitation that would determine if their rights had been violated.

Abang ruled, “The court cannot restrain the Police from carrying out their statutory function; and in this case, they have acted within the provision of Section 4 of the Police Act.

“They issued the letters dated October 6 and 8 inviting the applicants for questioning over their roles in the procession of the Peoples Democratic Party that held on October 5, 2018. The Police acted in public and national interests.

“The letters of invitation dated October 6 and 8, 2018 remain valid and subsisting. The applicants shall respond and report to the Police without fail.

“It is the outcome of the applicants’ honouring the invitation that would determine if their rights have been violated; certainly not before honouring the invitation.”

https://punchng.com/osun-gov-polls-result-protest-court-orders-saraki-melaye-murray-bruce-to-honour-police-invitation/

Osun is PDP,PDP is Osun

The stupid court should have first of all indicated which part of our constitution prohibited protest.

And how the said protest impinged on the right of the petitioner.

Hope this Saraki of a guy can withstand this heat for the next 4yrs, Dino miraculously escaped.

GMbuharii:
Osun is PDP,PDP is Osun

E b like say something dey worry ur head

recieve sense IJN

GMbuharii:
Osun is PDP,PDP is Osun

olagbola45:


E b like say something dey worry ur head

your useless father

Hmmmm


I build websites and I am based in Abuja, see my signature

APC can protest, PDP cannot.

watin, Saraki and Melaye get to do with osun election??

olagbola45:


E b like say something dey worry ur head

No be something, many things dey worry him head.

Awol1:
The stupid court should have first of all indicated which part of our constitution prohibited protest.

And how the said protest impinged on the right of the petitioner.

I'm sure all those lawyers and judges would benefit immensely from your legal wisdom, O wise sage.

Ahap

May follow-follow not put Murray Bruce in trouble.

Awol1:
The stupid court should have first of all indicated which part of our constitution prohibited protest.

And how the said protest impinged on the right of the petitioner.

We lost a democrat in Jonathan.
The opposition APC then and their BBOG sympathisers, #OccupyNigeria supporters etc were protesting freely but now everything has CHANGEd.
We are in trouble.

baike:
watin, Saraki and Melaye get to do with osun election??

They would answer that in Court.

chiedu7:
APC can protest, PDP cannot.

That is the way of integrity looters.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/4184367_img20160901212519_jpeg78b79ce1d41276755a59631319a61753

MrMcJay:
They would answer that in Court.

Unlike Buhari, Tinubu, El-Rufai etc in APC who did not answer in court when they protested Anambra election in 2013
Will hypocrisy and corruption not kill APC finally?

Anambra poll: Buhari, Tinubu, others protest at INEC headquarters
November 28, 2013



Top leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by a former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari defied police and military barricade to march on the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in protest against the shoddy conduct of the governorship poll in Anambra State.

They demanded outright cancellation of the election by INEC.

They also called for the resignation of INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega and dissolution of the management of the electoral body.

Reminiscence of pro-democracy struggle between 1993 and 1998 during the dark days of military era, the leaders trekked for about five kilometers from APC National Secretariat in Blantyre Street in Wuse II part of Abuja to Zambezi Crescent in Maitama District where INEC is located.



The initial stage of the trek was piloted by Governors Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun State) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti State) and many members of the National Assembly.

The great trek was later coordinated by a former National Secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change, Engr. Buba Galadima.

But when the procession took off, Buhari and some top leaders of APC withstood the rigours of standing in an open lorry for the protest march.

Others tucked in the lorry were the National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; a former National Chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu; a former National Chairman of the defunct All Peoples Party(APP), Alhaji Yusuf Ali; ex-Governor Ahmed Sani Yerima, ex-Governor Segun Osoba; ex-Governor Niyi Adebayo; Senator Nazif Suleiman; the Deputy National Secretary of APC, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Senator Abu Ibrahim; and a former member of the House of Representatives, Comrade Dino Melaye.

Others who participated in the hectic protest were Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Senator (Prof.) Sola Adeyeye; Senator Domingo Obende; Senator Anthony Adeniyi; Senator Ahmed Lawan; Senator Gbenga Asafa; House Minority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajiabiamila and the Chairman of the House Committee on the Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri.

Others were the Deputy Minority Chief Whip in the House, Hon. Garba Datti; Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Suleiman Kawu; Hon. Umar Bago; Hon. Adeola Solomon; Hon. Yakubu Balogun; Hon. Pally Iriase; Hon. Munir Hakeem; Hon. Abayomi Ayeola; Hon. Taiwo Adelekan; Hon. Adeyinka Ajayi; Hon. Gafar Akintayo; Hon. Sunday Adepoju; Hon. Ajibola Famurewa; the APC National Women Leader, Barrister Sharon Ikeazor, APC National Treasurer, and Hajiya Sadiat Umar Farouk,

Waving brooms amidst blare of revolutionary songs, traffic was brought to a standstill for about two hours along the ever busy Ademola Adetokunbo Street in Wuse II.

Many workers in the business district abandoned offices to identify with the protesters.

They wielded leaflets and placards with the following inscriptions: “Anambrarians, Nigerians are with you,” “Anambra Election: Jega, not the INEC Messiah, Resign Now,” “2015, No hope with Jega,” “No Supplementary Election in Anambra,” “Cancel Anambra Governorship Election Now,” “Election Fraud Must Stop Now.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/apc-leaders-protest-anambra-poll-inec/

Until Tinubu is invited for questioning on the contents inside the two bullion vans that drove into his house on the presidential election day then I comment my reserve on this Saraki and co case

I stopped reading the nonsense when I saw Justice Okon Abang.

Chepos1:
Hope this Saraki of a guy can withstand this heat for the next 4yrs, Dino miraculously escaped.

If Oby Ezekwesili could withstand the heat since 2015 with her BBOG protesters, why not Saraki


www.nairaland.com/attachments/4222476_screenshot20160911081825_pnga079f323856f9c10f5d1f4a856757173


www.nairaland.com/attachments/4264005_hadiza_jpegfae1d2eb192a7fb01a462348e07c3adc

anonimi:


Unlike Buhari, Tinubu, El-Rufai etc in APC who did not answer in court when they protested Anambra election in 2013
Will hypocrisy and corruption not kill APC finally?

You're back.

You forgot to type in red ink. Maybe your getting well gradually.

No live was lost as a result of this protest, why the invitation? This government has problem with anything that is ganished with Saraki. In fact to travel to Saki or eat Saki nay be banned soonest

For Your mind

..

Lol Okon Abang, one of Buhari’s boyfriends

Michaelkings:
your useless father

Lol....ur father is useless dat y u don't have respect u think say nah abia u dey where dem dey use kerosene collect ur destiny