A court in the federal capital territory (FCT) has summoned Femi Gbajabiamila, majority leader of the house of representatives, over a suit filed against him by the Action Peoples Party (APP).
APP had asked the court to disqualify Gbajabiamila from the speakership race over alleged perjury.
The party led by Ikenga Ugochinyere, who is also the spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), had said Gbajabiamila committed perjury in the CF001 form he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019.
The lawmaker was first elected into the lower legislative chamber of the national assembly in 2003.
APP said while Gbajabiamila, a lawyer, was convicted by the supreme court of Georgia, US, and sentenced to 36 months disbarment for fraud, he lied to INEC that he had never been convicted for any crime.
The lawmaker was said to have duped Barry Hadyatu, one of his clients, by receiving her insurance claims without her authority.
Although he reportedly repaid the money to his client, Gbajabiamila was said to have later closed down his law office in America and returned to Nigeria.
The lawmaker, who has been going round the country to enlist the support of key politicians, is favoured by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
But in a statement, Ugochinyere wondered why the APC would settle for Gbajabiamila, asking lawmakers to reject him.
“This is the man President Muhammadu Buhari led APC wants to emerge as the speaker of the house of representatives,” the statement read.