A Federal High Court on Monday dismissed a suit seeking to compel anti-graft agencies in the country to arrest and prosecute the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 poll, Atiku Abubakar.
Justice James Omotosho held that the suit filed by the immediate past Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, lacked merit. Justice Omotosho held that the plaintiff was unable to disclose any reasonable cause of action in the suit to warrant the court to exercise its discretion in his favour.
The court held that the suit was premature as Keyamo failed to allow law enforcement agencies to investigate the allegations against Atiku before taking the matter to court. Consequently, it dismissed the suit for want of competence.
Meanwhile, in a swift reaction, Keyamo, through a statement that was signed by the Assistant Head of his Chambers in Abuja, John Ainetor, vowed to appeal against the judgement. Keyamo, who was the spokesman of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, said he disagreed with the decision of the court to dismiss his suit against Atiku, insisting that “the law-enforcement agencies did not indicate their willingness to commence investigations, even if they were given more time.”
“We want to establish a legal principle that the society cannot wait as infinitum for law-enforcement agencies to do their statutory duties. The suit was designed to prompt the agencies to show their readiness to investigate.
“We are immediately filing an appeal against the said decision to the Court of Appeal as the struggle on this issue continues,” the statement further read.
