by Ranti Joseph
The plaintiffs, Tunde Samuel, Junaidu Mohammed, Rasak Adeogun and Yahaya Ezeemoo Ndu, who filed one of the suits before a Federal High Court, Abuja to challenge the eligibility of President Goodluck Jonathan to seek re-election in the March 28 presidential election have withdrawn the case.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed on Wednesday struck out the suit following an application by the plaintiffs to discontinue the suit.
The court has also ordered the plaintiffs to pay N50, 000 to Jonathan whose lawyers had been made to file responses before the decision to withdraw the suit.
The court had on February 3, 2015 fixed Wednesday for the hearing of the suit. But the notice of discontinuance of the suit was filed on February 4. A counsel for the plaintiffs, Alex Akoja, who appeared in court on Wednesday, said the plaintiffs gave the instruction to withdraw the suit and the notice of discontinuance was subsequently filed on February 4.
Jonathan’s counsel, Ade Okeanya-Inneh (SAN), did not oppose the application but asked for cost on the grounds that the calibre of six senior counsel, including Yusuf Ali (SAN), who filed the suit ought to have weighed the merit of the case before instituting it adding that his client was entitled to cost because he had been made to file responses to the suit.
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