The trial of the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Yakubu Sanda, was stalled on Thursday before a State High Court in Jos following a demand to follow court rules.
Sanda is charged alongside eight other lawmakers with illegally removing the lawmaker representing Jos East Constituency, Ayuba Abok, as the Speaker of the State Assembly on October 28, 2021, and assuming his position to date.
They were also accused of sitting between 6 am and 7 am to carry out the act in violation of the order and rules of the State Assembly as well as Section 92(2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended
Also charged were eight others, including the Plateau State Government.
The accused were being prosecuted in a suit filed by Abok before Justice Ishaku Kunda of the state high court.
The hearing was originally scheduled for October 23, 2022, but it was canceled due to the death of one of the accused lawmakers.
When the matter came up for hearing on Thursday, Yakubu Sanda was not in court, nor was he represented by any counsel, but the counsel to the claimant, DA Dalong, said they were ready to proceed with the case.
However, the trial of the accused was stalled again due to an objection raised by a counsel to the Plateau State government, PG Chigero that the application filed by the claimant contravened Rule 2 of the court, which required that it be filed with the proposed amendment.
After an argument by both counsels, Justice Kunda upheld the submission of the defense counsel and adjourned the matter till March 10, 2023.
