By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA—A group of lawmakers from Sokoto State, yesterday, stalled hearing on the suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Three of the lawmakers who are representing different constituencies in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, applied for a stay of proceeding on the matter seeking to prevent the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from declaring Tambuwal’s seat vacant.

Those that approached the court with the application yesterday were  Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki who is representing Tambuwal East, Suleiman Hantsi (Tambuwal West) and Shuaibu Umar (Kebbe Constituency).

Likewise, the people of Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency of Sokoto State, also entered a similar application before the court yesterday.

 The second set of applicants were led by the Chairman of Kebbe Local Government Area, Bala Konkani, and Chairman of Tambuwal Local Government Area,  Sambo Modo.

The two groups asked Justice Ahmed Mohammed  to hands-off the case and await the outcome of two separate appeals they have lodged before the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.

They said they had gone before the appellate court to challenge the refusal of Justice Mohammed to join them as interested parties in the substantive suit pending before him.

 The court had in a ruling it delivered on Monday, dismissed their joinder-applications, stressing that the case before it could be effectively determined without their presence as co-defendants in the matter.