The Plateau State High Court has adjourned until October 29, 2026, proceedings in an application filed by Jos North Local Government Area seeking to set aside the June 9 judgment on the indigeneship dispute.
The local government is asking the court to vacate the earlier judgment, which was entered in favour of the respondents after the council failed to appear during the original proceedings, resulting in a default judgment.
At Friday’s hearing, counsel to Jos North Local Government and the three indigenous ethnic groups—Berom, Afizere and Anaguta—Garba Pwul (SAN), challenged the appearance of a new legal team representing one of the respondents, Fatima Akawu.
Pwul argued that the new counsel was not originally on record in the matter and maintained that any change in legal representation must be preceded by a formal application before the court.
Counsel for the applicants further contended that Fatima Akawu’s decision to engage a different legal team without prior notice amounted to a legal “ambush” and was not supported by the applicable rules of court.
Speaking after the proceedings, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Edward Pwajok, said the hearing focused solely on procedural issues relating to legal representation, noting that all parties were present in court.
According to him, the court must first determine who is properly authorised to represent the respondents before considering the substantive application.
After hearing submissions from both sides, the court adjourned the matter to October 29 to rule on the objection to the change of counsel. The substantive application to set aside the earlier judgment is expected to proceed after that ruling.
Also speaking, counsel to Baba Alhaji Akawu, Yakubu H. (SAN), said the application before the court was simply an attempt by Jos North Local Government to set aside the judgment previously delivered in favour of the respondents.
He explained that the respondents had decided to engage separate legal teams because Fatima Akawu and her father, Baba Alhaji Akawu, are distinct parties with independent legal interests, adding that they are constitutionally entitled to separate representation.
Yakubu noted that following the objection raised by counsel to Jos North Local Government, the court adjourned the matter to determine the issue before proceeding with the substantive case.