Man withdraws suit challenging Gbaja’s eligibility for reps speakership

A Nigerian known as Philip Undie has discontinued a suit filed at the federal high court, Abuja, challenging the eligibility of Femi Gbajabiamila to contest speakership of the house of representatives.

In a statement on Tuesday, Undie said he wrote his counsel to withdraw the suit after discovering that his claim of the conviction of Gbajabiamila is “found on misinformation and misrepresentation of facts.”

Ayodele Justice, his counsel, also confirmed to TheCable that he has been asked to withdraw the case.

Udie had told the court that Gbajabiamila, the All Progressives Congress (APC) choice candidate for speakership, is unfit for the office, alleging that the lawmaker had been convicted of fraud in Georgia, USA.

But in the letter to his counsel dated May 27, and titled, ”Authorisation to file my withdrawal from suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/539/2019’, Udie said more facts had emerged indicating that Gbajabiamila has no criminal record in the United States.

The letter read:”It is important I honourably discontinue the suit following the emergence of more facts indicating that the first defendant in the suit, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, was cleared of no criminal conviction in the state of Georgia or any other part of the United States of America in a letter dated August 30, 2010. I am also in possession of an order of the Federal High Court, Abuja dated May 22, 2018, delivered by Justice Abdu-Kafarati in favour of Femi Gbajabiamila.

”Since the matter was filed at the Federal High Court, I have come into possession of more facts on the alleged criminal conviction which show beyond all doubt that the basis of the suit is found on misinformation and misrepresentation of facts.

”One of the documents I now have is a letter dated as far back as August 30th, 2010 issued by the State Bar of Georgia, the body involved in this matter and which regulate legal practice in Georgia, United States of America, indicating that the first defendant, Femi Gbajabiamila has no record of criminal conviction in the State of Georgia or any part of America.

“In fact, the letter states categorically that Femi Gbajabiamila ”is currently an active member in good standing of the State Bar of Georgia.”