COURT DISQUALIFIES SALAMI'S LAWYERS

AFederal High Court yesterday disqualified two senior advocates from representing the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami in court where he is challenging the decision of the National Judicial Council (NJC) suspending him from office.

The court held that their appearance offends the provisions of Order 9 Rules 35 (1) and (3) of the Federal High Court Rules as well as order 3 Rules 11 [1] and Order 3 Rule 12 (3) of the rules of the court in the sense that they were not the original legal representatives of the plaintiff and they did not appear as holding the brief of Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN).

Justice Okorowo said the record of the court showed that the writ and other processes of the court in respect of the suit were filed and signed by Chief Olujinmi. The action of Justice Donatus Okorowo followed a mild drama in court where counsel to the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina Alu, Lucious Nwosu (SAN) objected to the appearance of counsel to Salami, Emeka Ngige (SAN) and AJ Owonikoko (SAN).

Emeka Ngige had earlier announced his appearance alongside A. Owonikoko (SAN) with other junior counsel for the applicant. After other counsel in the matter announced their appearance, Nwosu rose up before Ngige could open his case and objected to his appearance saying neither his name nor that of Owonikoko was contained among the names of counsel contained the writ of summons and motion on notice served on them.

He added that the writ of summons was brought out from Olujinmi and Akeredolu Chambers and it was signed by Akinlolu Olujinmi who led some other Senior Advocates of Nigeria whose names were indicated on the writ except that of Ngige and Owonikoko.