A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Bwari on Wednesday dismissed a suit seeking the sack of the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege.
The suit was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Patriotic Youth Organisation of Nigeria.
The group had alleged that Mr Omo-Agege is an ex-convict.
Defendants in the suit are Mr Omi-Agege, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) respectively.
In the document seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, they wanted the court to determine among other questions whether Mr Omo-Agege did not provide false information in his INEC Forms CF001 relating to whether he has been under a sentence of imprisonment or conviction for an offence in the United States of America.
Upon the determination of those questions, the group urged the court to make, ” An order of Injunction restraining the first defendant, by himself, agents, servants, privies or howsoever described from further parading or in any other manner whatsoever holding out himself as been qualified to contest for election into the Senate of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and from exercising any power or function pertaining to the office of the Deputy President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Also the group wanted an order compelling INEC to prosecute the Deputy Senate President for offence of perjury.
But in the court’s judgment on Wednesday, Justice Othman Musa ruled that Mr Omo-Agege has never been convicted by any court of law in the United States of America.
Justice Musa stated that the case against the Deputy Senate President in the U.S. was a disciplinary matter, which he challenged in the US Supreme Court and won.
He held that in view of that, there was no basis for Mr Omo-Agege to disclose such information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s Form CF001 that he has been convicted of any offence.
The judge held that as such, the deputy senate president has not committed any perjury as canvassed by the claimant.
The court thereafter dismissed the suit and awarded the cost of N1 million in favour of Mr Omo-Agege.
Premium Times