Justice Kunaza Hamidu of the Bauchi High Court, on Tuesday, adjourned hearing in a suit brought before the court against the immediate past Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Abubaka Saddique, to February 22.
The suit, marked BA/81m/22, was filed against the former Air Chief by Danlami Takko and 25 others, seeking an order of the court to compel the defendant/respondent to contest for 2023 gubernatorial election in Bauchi State.
Counsel for the plaintiffs, Barrister Usman Darazo, urged the court to compel Air Marshal Saddique to make public his intention to run or not run for the position of governor of Bauchi State in the 2023 general election within 30 days.
According to him, the plaintiffs wanted good governance in Bauchi State and as such identified the former Chief of Air Staff as one of the indigenes of the state best suited to occupy the office of the governor.
This, he said, was based on Saddique’s numerous achievements while in office as the country’s air chief.
“In spite of calls from many quarters in the state for the respondent, who is also the Ambassador-Designate of Nigeria to Chad, to declare his intention to run, he has not answered, thereby, keeping everyone guessing.’’
While urging the court to compel the respondent to declare his intention, Darazo submitted that the court had the power under Section 6 (6) Paragraph B of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
Counsel for the respondent, Idris Jibo, while responding, said he needed time to file the respondent’s response to the process and sought an adjournment to enable him do so, adding that the interest of his client had to be considered as well.
Having listened to both parties, Justice Hamidu adjourned the case to February 22 to hear the motion on notice.