A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has refused to grant an interim order stopping the appointment or selection of the Minority Leader of the Senate of the Eighth National Assembly.

Justice GABRIEL KOLAWOLE gave the ruling in a motion filed by some members of the Peoples Democratic Party, asking the Court to restrain the Senate from departing from its Standing Rules on the appointment of a Minority Leader.

Our correspondent reports that the action by ALAYE DON PEDRO from Akuku-Toru in Rivers State and OKECHUKWU IBEH from Ide-Ato in Imo State is intended to frustrate the emergence of Senator GODSWILL AKPABIO as Senate Minority Leader.

The respondents in the suit include the Senate President, BUKOLA SARAKI and seventeen members of the South-South Senate Caucus.

Senator AKPABIO, who won election into the Senate after completing eight years of two terms as governor of Akwa Ibom State, is the second respondent.

The Senate and House of Representatives of the Eight National Assembly are expected to resume plenary next week, after an adjournment for four weeks, which was later extended by another week.