The Plateau State High Court has adjourned to October 29, 2026, the application filed by Jos North Local Government Area seeking to set aside the June 9 judgment on the indigeneship of Jos North.
The application followed the default judgment earlier delivered after the local government council failed to appear during the proceedings.
At Friday’s sitting, counsel to Jos North Local Government and the indigenous tribes of Berom, Afizere and Anaguta, Garba Pwul, SAN, objected to the appearance of a new legal team representing Fatima Akawu.
Pwul argued that the lawyers were not originally on record and that due process must be followed before they could validly represent the respondent.
Speaking after the proceedings, Edward Pwajok, SAN, said all parties were present in court and that arguments were limited to the issue of legal representation.
According to him, the applicants maintained that a formal application must first be filed and determined before any new counsel could take over the matter.
He described the respondents’ decision to introduce a new legal team without prior notice as a legal “ambush” not supported by law.
After listening to submissions from both parties, the court adjourned the case to October 29 to rule on the objection over legal representation before hearing the substantive application.
Meanwhile, counsel to Baba Akawu, Yakubu H., SAN, said the application before the court was simply an effort by Jos North Local Government to set aside a judgment earlier delivered in favour of the respondents.
He explained that Fatima Akawu and her father, Baba Alhaji Akawu, are separate parties in the suit and are constitutionally entitled to engage different legal teams.
Yakubu added that the court adjourned the matter after the applicants challenged the change of counsel, with a ruling on the issue expected on October 29 before the substantive case proceeds.
