BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRIM

ABUJA—THE Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, ordered that the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Legbo Kutigi, be served with a copy of the suit challenging the constitutionality of the ongoing national conference.

Justice Abdul Kafarati made the order shortly after he joined Kutigi, chairman of the conference, to the suit  filed before the High Court by a constitutional lawyer, Dr. Tunji Abayomi.
Others the court equally joined in the suit include the deputy chairman of the conference, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, and the Secretary, Dr. (Mrs.) Valerie Azinge.

When the matter was called up, the plaintiff told the court that he had on March 13, filed a motion “seeking for leave to join three personalities that are leading the constitutionally contested national conference.
“My lord, I am applying that three of them be joined in this suit as 5th, 6th and 7th defendants respectively.

“Subject to the indulgence of my lord, we are also asking that upon the granting of the prayer, all processes be served on all the new defendants.”
Following a no-objection stance by Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, who appeared for President Goodluck Jonathan and the Attorney General of the Federation, Justice Kafarati acceded to the prayer.

Before adjourning the matter to March 31, 2014, for mention, Justice Kafarati ordered the service of all the relevant processes on the ex-CJN, Kutigi and the two other new defendants.

The court further directed that fresh hearing notices be issued and served on the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, who though listed in the matter as 3rd and 4th defendants, failed to appear in court.
Meanwhile, speaking to journalists at the end of the proceeding, Abayomi said he was convinced that both President Goodluck Jonathan and the former Chief Judge were currently threading the path of illegality.