A federal high court in Abuja has fixed 29 September to hear the motion by the Osun State Government, challenging the court’s jurisdiction in a suit against the payment of local government funds to candidates elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Justice Emeka Nwite on Monday adjourned the matter after taking arguments from lawyers in the matter, while noting that issues of jurisdiction would be taken first.
Earlier, the judge had struck out the name of the Attorney General of the Federation as the 3rd defendant in the suit following Osun State Government’s discontinuance of the matter against him.
In the motion, the Osun State Government insisted that since the vacation of the court came to an end on 16 September, the suit should be transferred back to Osogbo for appropriate hearing and determination.
Counsel to Osun, Musibau Adetmbi (SAN) said the motion was based on two grounds because the fiat granted the Attorney General of the Federation for the matter to be heard during vacation had elapsed and been overtaken by the end of the vacation.
Adetumbi argued that the chief judge’s personal assistant, who signed the document, was a busybody who was unknown to the law.
Counsel to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Muritala Abdulrasheed (SAN) and that of the Accountant General of the Federation, Tajudeen Oladoja (SAN), challenged the application of the Osun government, alleging that it was a ploy to delay the expeditious hearing of the matter.
The Osun State Government had, in withdrawing the suit against the AGF before the high court, informed the court that they have filed another suit at the Supreme Court challenging his failure to comply with subsisting judgments of both the Federal High Court, Osogbo Division, delivered on 30 November 2022, and the Court of Appeal ruling of 13 June 2025, which recognised the local government chairmen and councillors elected on 22 February 2025.
