From Yakubu Busari,Jos
Justice S.J.Bakfur of the Plateau state High Court has expressed disappointment with the conduct of supporters of aggrieved Local Government Chairmen in Plateau State Local over inciting utterances against him and called on counsels to caution them.
Bakfur said the claimants were blackmail him that he would compromise his position because he came from the same Local Government as Governor Caleb Manasseh.
He warned that “I won’t tolerate that nonsense as leader in the temple of justice , we have rules guiding our conduct so everyone should not be thinking that the court always take side. That is totally wrong.”
Bakfur stated that he has integrity and he won’t allow any one get involved in anything that would scandalized the judiciary’s integrity.
He said since he was also proceeding on vacation, there was limitation for him to handle the Local Governments suspension case file to its final conclusion .
However, the claimants counsel , Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, also agreed with the court that the matter should be taken after the vacation to avoid repeated ruling on two issues of interlocutory injunction and the application seeking to join in the suit by the Chairman of Langtang North. Barr Zulfa Rimven .
The 17 Local Government Chairmen and councilors have sought the audience of the Plateau State High Court order to join in the case filed by the 17 LGAs on their suspension in office as Executive Chairmen by Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang .
The counsel Zulfa Rimven ,Emmanuel Hassan, told the court that they have a fresh application seeking to be join as parties having being served on them already .
However, the claimants counsel, Femi Falana told the court that they were served on Thursday last week and it was subject to the convenience of the court as he sought the leave of the court for seven days to react.
The defence counsel ,K.M. Malan also confirmed that his clients, the Governor and Attorney General of Plateau state were served on July 27, 2023.
Malan said he won’t oppose their application to join the suit now or in the future.
Justice Bakfur adjourned the case for continuation of hearing but stressed that the file would be returned back to the office of the Chief Judge, Hon.Justice David Mann.
