Coast Clears For Akpabio To Emerge Senate Minority Leader

The coast appeared clearer for the former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio to emerge as the Minority Leader of the 8th Senate as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole refused to grant an exparte injunction against the Senate from recognizing Akpabio as its Minority Leader.

Two members of Akpabio’s party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – Alaye Pedro and Dr. Okechukwu Ibeh – had sought an order restraining the Senate President, Dr. Bukola ?Saraki, and members of the PDP caucus from the South South in the Senate from appointing the former Akwa Ibom State governor as Senate Minority Leader.

They said the process for the emergence of Akpabio was in breach of the Senate Standing Order.

But Justice Kolawole on Wednesday in his ruling queried the locus standi of the applicants and went further to dismiss the applicants’ relief of an interim order restraining the Saraki and the Senate PDP caucus from selecting Akpabio as the Senate Minority Leader.

The judge however granted the applicants prayer of an order of substituted service of processes by publication in two national newspapers and consequently adjourned the matter to October 5, 2015? for mention.