Legislative lawyers, under the aegis of Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, have asked an Abuja Federal High Court to compel the House of Representatives to issue an arrest warrant against Prof. Abubakar Olanrewaju Suleiman, Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, a Federal Government agency under the National Assembly.
The lawyers, who had dragged Suleiman to court for allegedly contesting the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kwara State without resigning his appointment, wants the lawmakers to order his arrest for failing to honour the invitation of the House committee investigating the issue.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives and Yusuf Galambi, Chairman House Committee on Legislative Library, Research and Documentation, were listed as the respondents in the suit filed by ALDRAP, whose members include staff of NILDS.
Reliefs sought by the plaintiff include an order of mandamus compelling the respondents to exercise the powers under sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, and House of Representatives Standing Orders, 2023, by issuing a warrant for Suleiman’s arrest for his failure to honour the lawmakers’ summons on June 18, 2026.
The court was also asked to declare that the powers vested in the House of Representatives by sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution include powers to compel attendance and compliance with lawful summons.
In the same vein, the plaintiffs asked the court to order the respondents to ensure strict compliance with provisions of the Constitution and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act concerning persons who refuse to appear after being summoned.
Stating the grounds for the suit filed by its counsel, J. J Lamy, Esq, the plaintiff stated that the NILDS director general was summoned to appear before the House Committee on Legislative Library, Research and Documentation on June 18, 2026, but he failed and neglected to appear as required.
The plaintiff further averred that sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution gave the House of Representatives and its committees the power to summon persons and compel attendance.
In the same vein, it added that Order 19 of the House of Representatives Standing Orders, 2023, also empowered the House and its committees to compel attendance where a person fails to honour summons.
“The respondents possess the constitutional and statutory authority necessary to initiate and issue such warrant and to ensure compliance with lawful summons. It is in the public interest and in furtherance of the rule of law that the respondents be compelled to discharge their constitutional duties,” the plaintiff added.
It will be recalled that ALDRAP had asked the Abuja Federal High Court to order Suleiman to vacate office immediately, and also issue an order of perpetual injunction restraining him from parading as NILDS DG, following his alleged participation in the APC Kwara gubernatorial primary without resigning, as directed by President Bola Tinubu, in line with provisions of the Electoral Act.
The association asked the court to declare that Suleiman ought to resign his appointment, on or before March 31, 2026, after declaring his intention to contest the election. The court was equally asked to declare that his failure to resign violated the Electoral Act, 2026.
In the same vein, the plaintiff asked the court to declare that the failure of the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives to appoint an acting DG for NILDS, following Suleiman’s participation in the Kwara governorship primary election, is unlawful and amounts to breach of statutory responsibilities. The plaintiff also asked the court to compel the Senate President and Speaker to appoint an acting DG for NILDS, pending the appointment of a substantive DG for the institution.
Meanwhile, following a request for evidence made by the House Committee on Legislative Library, Documentation and Research during an investigative hearing held on June 18, 2026, the plaintiff has submitted evidence of Sulaiman’s participation in the Kwara APC gubernatorial primary.
The evidence, according to the plaintiff, include a letter dated June 19, 2026, addressed to the National Chairman of the APC, demanding a Certified True Copy of documents demonstrating Sulaiman’s membership and participation in the party’s Kwara State governorship primary election on May 22, 2026; a query issued by the Governing Council of NILDS dated June 2, 2026, signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly; as well as newspaper and eyewitness accounts of the primary election.
