UPDATE: Court bars Natasha, Akpabio, Imasuem, others from media interviews

By Taiye Agbaje

 The Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja on Friday, restrained Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan; the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and two others from granting media interviews while the suit filed by Natasha is still pending before the court.

The new judge, Justice Binta Nyako, gave the order during the hearing of the suit filed by the suspended senator seeking to stop the Senate from investigating her.

The development followed a complaint by Akpabio’s lawyer, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, that Akpoti-Uduaghan had allegedly been going from one media station to another, granting press interviews on issues relating to the suit.

Others affected by the order include the Clerk of the National Assembly (NASS), the Senate and Sen. Neda Imasuem, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct.

Justice Nyako ordered that no party or counsel in the suit should grant media interviews pending the hearing and determination of the case

“There should be no press interview by all parties and counsel as regard the subject matter of this case; no streaming or social media post as regard this case; no TV interview as regard this case.

“There should be total media blockage,” the judge held.

According to the judge, this case is sub judice.

“Therefore, nobody; either the plaintiff or the respondents should do anything that will foist a faith accompli on the court,” she added.

Justice Nyako, who acknowledged that there are accredited journalists in the court with a press centre, threatened whoever streams the proceedings of the court live with contempt of the court.

Earlier when the matter was called, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s  lawyer, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, said the matter was coming for the first time before the judge, having been transferred from another court presided over by Justice Obiora Egwuatu.

He applied that all the processes filed be taken together, including the preliminary objections, the substantive suit and their disciplinary application, giving the urgency involved.

He told the court that the life span of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s  suspension was six months, hence the need for expeditious hearing and determination of the suit.

Responding, lawyer to the clerk of NASS, Charles Iyoila, though did not oppose Okutepa’s application for consolidated hearing, he said “on the issue of contempt, we shall not be in position to receive the Form 48 and Form 49 on behalf of our client,” for substituted service.

Also counsel to the Senate, Paul Daudu, SAN, did not object to Okutepa’s prayer, stating that a counter affidavit and preliminary objection had been field on his client’s behalf.

He, however, informed that a motion was filed on March 21 seeking an extension of time to regularised their processes

However, Justice Nyako stated that she would be stating the matter afresh having just received the case file.

“I am seeing this file today because I was called by my CJ that I have this matter .

“So I am just seeing it. For me to start looking for where your processes are in this voluminous documents may take time,” she said.

The judge said if the plaintiff would not object, all the processes that needed to be regularised would be deemed to have been properly filed going by the urgency of the matter.

“So I can make that blanket order that all processes for regularisation should be deemed to be properly filed subject to payment of the relevant fees,” she said.

However, Akpabio’s lawyer, Ogunwumiju, and Umeh Kalu, SAN, who represented Senator Imasuem, objected to Okutepa’s application.

Ogunwumiju submitted that there are applications for interlocutory injunction, among others, which are key in the matter.

“There are issues we have raised in our objection.

“This is not a matter that can be taken by way of originating motion.

“We have an application that is ripe to be taken today,” he said

According to him, since the suit was filed, she (Akpoti-Udiaghan) has been granting interviews, even till today.

“You cannot be here and be granting interviews with BBC, even CNN,” Ogunwumiju said.

But Okutepa disagreed with Ogunwumiju on the allegations against his client.

The lawyer also alleged that a senator in the Senate had been moving about granting interviews with media and issuing press releases allegedly on behalf of the senate president.

“My lord, we are officers of this court. There is a senator that is always on media interviews.

“My lord, the duty we own is to respect the court. This senator is also a member of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct.

“In their report which is in the counter affidavit of the 3rd defendant (Akpabio), my lord will find Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi on number 32.

“He is always speaking on this issue. My submission is let us have decorum, respect the sanctity of the court,” Okutepa said

Ogunwumiju urged the court to disregard Okutepa’s submission because Sen. Nwaebonyi was not directly a party in the suit.

Justice Nyako, therefore, ordered all the parties, including their lawyers to refrain from media interviews in order not to render the decision of the court nugatory.