Activists Sue Patience Jonathan Over First Ladies’ Meeting

Activists Sue Patience Jonathan Over First Ladies’ Meeting

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has been asked to restrain Dame Patience Jonathan from holding an emergency meeting of African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) in Abuja on May 15.

The court will hear the application to stop the meeting today.

The plaintiffs, who include Nana Module Onwodi, Ekemma Ugborough Arisa, Louisa Ono Eikhomun and Deborah Oboh, said the emergency meeting called by Dame Jonathan was called in “bad faith” as it is aimed at scuttling any chance of Aisha Buhari becoming the president of AFLPM.

Other defendants in the matter include Juliet Mene, Juliet Pearce, Sonia Adolf and Kate Duru.

The case could not go on yesterday when it was called because the procedure for proof of service had not been completed.

Accordingly, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, adjourned the matter to enable Barrister Mohammed Ahmed file an affidavit of service and attach the Proof of Service to the said affidavit averring that the service had been effected on the defendant, Dame Jonathan.

“You should have filed an affidavit of service and annexed the Proof of Service. The document does not speak for itself. Normally, if it is service on a party directly, you file the copy endorsed by the recipient party. But if it’s service by substituted means, you file an affidavit to say pursuant to the order of substituted means, we have effected service. I will adjourn to tomorrow, May 14, to enable you file the affidavit of service. Your application will be taken tomorrow”, Justice Baba-Yusuf ruled.

The plaintiffs had filed a writ of summons for themselves and on behalf of Concerned Women for Peace and Development, seeking to stop the emergency meeting called by Jonathan aimed at picking a new president of AFLPM from among the other African first ladies to succeed her.

They explained that the defendant stepped into the shoes of president of AFLPM after Turai Yar’Adua stepped down following the death of her husband and then president, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

The plaintiffs averted that the tenure of office of President of the Mission is three years, which is expected to elapse in July 2015 and, therefore, any attempt for the defendant to convene a meeting to elect a new president would amount to short-changing Mrs. Buhari who ought to get a chance by May 29, 2015 to participate and even contest the office of president in July 2015.

They averred that “the defendant/respondent’s intention to hold an election on May 2015 is inimical to the progress and development of the country” as “not only shall we be affected as individuals but the entire nation will be affected as our position in the committee of African nation’s will be relegated”.