By Femi Mustapha
The Abuja division of the Federal High Court struck out the suit concerning the leadership of the Action Alliance (AA) on Thursday. The court, presided over by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, determined that the suit, filed by nine party members including Hon. Awofala Awolola Awoniyi, lacked merit.
In his judgment, Justice Egwuatu stated that the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case because a similar matter is currently before higher courts. He referenced various authorities to support his ruling, asserting that proceedings in a court without jurisdiction are null and void.
A copy of the Certified True Copy of the judgment reveals, in part: “Having concluded that this court has no jurisdiction to entertain this suit, as it relates to the internal affairs of the party and is not justiciable, the only option left is to strike out this suit, in accordance with the directive of the superior court.”
The judge continued, “The law is clear that when a court lacks jurisdiction over a particular matter, it cannot exercise any power in that regard.”
Justice Egwuatu also noted that the first defendant cannot speculate on the claims made by the plaintiffs when those claims are clearly defined. He emphasized that the court is not permitted to conjecture about the intentions of the plaintiffs.
Furthermore, the assertion made by the first defendant that the reliefs sought in this suit benefit a party not involved in the lawsuit, specifically Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, was deemed incorrect. According to the court proceedings, Omoaje is not named in either the plaintiffs’ or defendants’ lists.
