The last has not been heard on the peaceful protests embarked upon by prominent members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) including senate president Bukola Sarkaki and Dino Melaye.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki; senators Dino Melaye and Ben Murray-Bruce have sued the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, over their invitation by the Nigeria Police.
The Senate trio was among the three leaders of the PDP who held a protest march to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Friday to protest against the outcome of the Osun State governorship election.
Atiku Cannot Change Nigeria – Oby Ezekwesili
In the aftermath of the protests which had been marred by police men firing tear gas canisters at the senators, the Police had invited only Dino Melaye and Murray-Bruce to appear before the Federal Capital Territory Command alleging that the senate leaders had attacked its men and destroyed public property.
The Senate Leaders, however, failed to respond to the invitation as they have sued the IG and the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, praying the court to, among others, direct the defendants to “jointly and severally pay the applicants the sum of N500m, being the pecuniary and exemplary damages arising from the humiliation, intimidation, harassment and unlawful attempt to arrest the applicants by the agents of the second respondent (Commissioner of Police).”
The court papers showed that the suit with Number FHC/ABJ/03/095/2018 was filed by Mahmud Abubakar Magaji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, on behalf of the lawmakers.
This move adds a new dimension to fall out of the Osun governorship which was marred by intimidation and harassment of voters by security forces deployed to the state to keep law and order during the election.
The APC candidate had been declared winner of the election in a run- off organised by INEC; The PDP has since rejected the results.