Confusion at Appeal Court - As 2 lawyers appear for Rep

Isaac Shobayo, Jos - 09.05.2008

THE Court of Appeal, Jos, Plateau State Division, was thrown into confusion on Thursday when two lawyers made an appearance for a party in a case between Samaila Mohammed, a House of Representatives member for Jos North and Bassa federal constituency and James Yakubu.

Justice Ja’afaru Mukaila and two other justices presiding over the case ordered the lawyer, not known by Yakubu, out of the court.

Mentioning the case with appeal number: CA/J/EP/HR/22/08, Mr. O. I. Olorundare (SAN), stood up to announce appearance for the appellant, while another lawyer, who identified himself as S. K. Hosea, also stood up to present himself for the same person.

Olorundare and Yakubu told the court that they were seeing Hosea for the first time and denied ever having any dealing with him and the judge immediately ordered Hosea to leave the court.

Yakubu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in last National Assembly election, is challenging the victory of Mohammed of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), who, he said, was not qualified to contest in the election in the first place.

Arguing this, counsel to Yakubu, Mr. Olorundare said Mohammed was not qualified because his party, the ANPP, never nominated him to be its candidate for the election.