The Spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Festus Keyamo, SAN, has prayed the Federal High Court in Abuja to grant an order to serve the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, court documents through substituted means.
Asst. Head of Festus Keyamo Chambers, Abuja Office, John Ainetor, Esq., made the prayer in court document submitted to the court today, Thursday, January 26, 2023.
In the documents, the plaintiff/applicant sought the nod of the court to serve court processes on Atiku Abubakar through substituted means.
The suit has Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as respondents.
Keyamo sought, amongst other things, “an order granting leave to the Plaintiff/Applicant to effect service of the Originating Summons and all subsequent processes in this suit on the 1st Defendant by substituted means to wit: by serving same on any adult staff of the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation located at Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, Beside Access Bank, Wuse II, Abuja or by pasting same at a conspicuous part of the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation Office located at Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, Beside Access Bank, Wuse II, Abuja.”
Meanwhile, an affidavit in support of motion ex-parte, submitted by one Seyi Bakare, states as follows:
(a) That I am a litigation officer in the firm of Festus Keyamo Chambers, solicitors to the Plaintiff/Applicant and by virtue of my position, I am conversant with the facts of this case and the facts deposed herein.
(b) That I have the consent of the Plaintiff/Applicant and that of my employer to depose to this affidavit.
(c) That I was informed by Festus Ukpe, Esq, counsel in chambers on 25th January, 2023 at about 8.00am in our office at the above stated address, in the process of preparing this application and I verily believe him as follows:
- That the Plaintiff/Applicant commenced the instant suit seeking declaratory reliefs and mandatory orders against the Defendants.
- That the 1st Defendant is a Nigerian Citizen, and politician who held public office as the Vice President of Nigeria, from 1999 to 2007 and is also the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria.
- That the elections are scheduled to hold on 25th February, 2023 and all the candidates in the election (including the 1st Defendant) are very busy with campaign programmes across the country.
- That the itinerary of the 1st Defendant is unpredictable and it would be difficult to locate him for the purpose of personal service.
- That the Plaintiff does not know the residential address of the 1st Defendant.
- That it will be difficult to serve the 1st Defendant the court processes personally as the 1st Defendant has a retinue of security personnel and aides who make it difficult to access the 1st Defendant.
- That I firmly believe that if the processes in this suit are served in the manner proposed by this application, the 1st Defendant will come to know about the pendency of this suit.
- That it is in the interest of justice for this Honourable court to grant the reliefs sought by the Applicants.
The affidavit was sworn to at the Federal High Court Registry, Abuja, before the Commissioner For Oath. Read more.