Taraba crisis: Court asks ailing Governor Suntai, lawmakers to settle out of court

The judge was to give his ruling on Monday.
A High Court in Jalingo, Taraba State, has given the state governor, Danbaba Suntai, the state House of Assembly, and the speaker of the Assembly, Haruna Tsokwa, an opportunity to settle, out of court, a suit filed by the governor against the House.
The judge, Ali Ibrahim, was expected to deliver his ruling on Monday. But shortly after the case was mentioned, counsel to the governor, Alex Izinyon, who was represented in court by Elijah Nyaro, filed an oral application asking the court to offer opportunity for an out-of-court settlement.
“Even though the matter was adjourned for ruling today, I have the instructions from lead counsel to the plaintiff, Alex Izinyon to apply that the ruling should be adjourned for about three weeks, because the parties in the suit are exploring possible and amicable ways of resolving this matter out of court,” Mr. Nyaro said.
The counsels to the defendants, Yusuf Akirikwen and Adebayo Adelodun, did not oppose the oral application. Both of them said their clients did not object to the application if it would lead to the peaceful resolution of the matter.
Mr. Suntai was in court to challenge the decision of the state Assembly not to honour the letter he transmitted to it on 26 August, informing it of his return following a ten month stay in the USA and Germany where he received treatment for injuries sustained after an air crash in Yola, in October 2012.
In delivering the verdict, Mr. Ibrahim said, “Even though, this ruling is ready, since the plaintiff has asked for adjournment and the defendants have no objection, I will allow them to explore possible avenues to resolving the matter peacefully and amicably.”
When PREMIUM TIMES contacted some legislators loyal to both Mr. Suntai and his deputy, Garba Umar, both gave different interpretations of the court’s decision.
One of the lawmakers loyal to Mr. Suntai, who declined to be quoted because he was not authorised to talk to the media, said the court gave the parties three weeks to settle out of court. He added that members loyal to the governor were willing to give the talks a chance.
“It all depends on the approach, but I believe it is good to give it a chance and see,” he said.
Another lawmaker loyal to the Speaker, who also declined to be named said, the group had it on good authority that Mr. Suntai’s loyalists pushed for the out of court settlement following information that the verdict to be delivered would not favour them.
“They were just smart to ask for the out of court settlement to avoid embarrassing the governor. I think they did the right thing,” he said.
The matter will now come up on October 28, where the two parties would either report a settlement or hear the ruling by Mr. Ibrahim.
Mr. Suntai is still recuperating in Taraba from the treatment he received after the air crash while the states deputy governor still acts as governor.

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