Defection: Court Sacks Ali Ahmad, Moshood Mustapha and 35 Other Reps.

Date: 2014-03-31

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered 37 former members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to resign their seats at the House of Representatives for defecting to the All Progressives Congress, (APC).

Delivering judgment, Justice Adeniyi Ademola held that the defected lawmakers no longer had any business, morally and legally, to stay in the House of Reps.

He said they should honourably resign from their seats as members of the House of Representative , having moved to another political party, while their tenure had yet to expire.

“Having perused the arguments of counsel and the constitutional provisions, it is clear and unambiguous that the defendants were sponsored by the PDP and won the election on its platform.

“It is also the court’s opinion that their tenure has not expired and there is no division in the PDP.

“The defendants are, therefore, not competent to vote or contribute to any proceedings in the House of Representatives.

“An order of perpetual injunction is, hereby, ordered, restraining them from altering or attempting to change the leadership of the House of Reps,’’ Ademola said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PDP had on Jan. 7 instituted a suit seeking to restrain the House of Representatives from altering the composition of its leadership.

The party had commenced the action following the defection of 37 lawmakers, who won election on its platform, to the opposition APC.

Mr Yunus Usman (SAN), PDP’s counsel had, while arguing his originating summons, faulted the cross-carpeting of the lawmakers, saying that the legislators did so during the dependency of a judgment.

He argued that by virtue of the Oct. 2013 judgment of Justice Evoh Chukwu, which said there was no division in PDP, the matter had been laid to rest.

Usman had further submitted that by virtue of the provision of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Nigerian constitution, as amended, the  lawmakers ought to have vacated their seats immediately.

Mr Mamoud Magaji (SAN), counsel to the defendants, had in his submission, argued that it was wrong for the PDP to have sought to restrain its former members from House activities for defecting.

Other defence counsel, Mr Niyi Akintola, SAN, Mr Sebastian Hon, SAN, Mr James Ocholi,SAN, Mr Abiodun Owonikoko,SAN, and Jibril Okutepa,SAN, had prayed the court to dismiss the suit.

(NAN)

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Folajimi Aleshinloye     Communication Network Support Services     Omoniyi M. Ayinla     Kamoru Kadiri     Kwara State Sports Commission     Galadima     Aliyu Muhammad Saifudeen     Tunji Arosanyin     Shehu Alimi Foundation For Peace And Development     Oba Mogaji Abdulkadir     Congress For National Consensus     Valsolar Consortium     Razaq Atunwa     Nagode     Col. Taiwo     Jimoh Bashir     GANZY     Labaeka     Olohungbebe     ER-KANG Mining     Baboko Primary School     Aiyedun     Abubakar Usman Jos     Oluronke Adeyemi     Arca Santa     Niyi Ogundiran     Sulu Babaita Isiaka     Savannah Centre For Diplomacy, Democracy And Development     Yashikira     Gambari     Abdulganiyu Oladosu     Kwabes     Oniyangi Kunle Sulaiman     ARMTI     Ibrahim Mohammed     Elekoyangan     Shoprite     Saba Mamman Daniel     Mahmud Ajeigbe     Association Of Kwara State Online Media Practitioners     Jimoh Saadudeen Muhammed     Bolaji Aladie     Aliyu Adebayo     Kunle Okeowo     Alabi Olayemi Abdulrazak     Samuel Olusegun Adedayo     Iyabo Adewuyi     Eleyele     Aminu Adisa Logun     Royal FM     Ibrahim Akaje     Atunwa     Rasheed Jimoh     Muhammad-Mustapha Suleiman     Maigidasanma     Abatemi Usman     Aisha Ahman-Pategi     Aliyu Kora-Sabi     Mary Arinde     Saidu Isa     Ibrahim Abdullahi     Igbaja     Ilorin Metro Park     Saba Jibril     Emir Of Ilorin     Esinrogunjo     Abdulrasheed Akogun     Kwara 2023     Olofa Of Offa     C2c@kwarastate.gov.ng     Rafiu Olasile     Bureau Of Lands     Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union     Samuel Adaramola     Olokoba Abdullahi Ayinla     Onilorin Of Ilorin     Ibrahim Abdulqadir Abikan    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

UNILORIN Alumni Association     Awwal Jawondo     Firdaos Amasa     Apaola     Hijaab     Peter Amogbonjaye     David Oyerinola Adedunmoye     Adanla-Irese     Buhari     Alimi     Kwara University Of Education     Hassan Saliu     Isau     Idris Amosa Oladipo Saidu     Chikanda     Bola Sagaya     Ahmad Olanrewaju Belgore     Bashir Adigun     Mopelola Abdulmaliq-Bashir     Bello Oyebanji     Mufutau Olatinwo     Okanlawon Taiwo     Gambari     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     National Information Technology Development Agency     Razak Atunwa     Democracy Day     Taofeek Ibraheem     Najim Yaasin     Dele Belgore     Babaita     ER-KANG     Tanke     Deji Ajani     Rice Farmers Association Of Nigeria     Wahab Issa     Oniye     Oluronke Adeyemi     Tsaragi     Marafan Shonga     HICA     08001000100     NaAllah     Earlyon Technologies     Oro Grammar School     Yakubu Dogara     Ademola Kiyesola     Samuel Adaramola     Abdulkadir Akanbi-Oke     Ibrahim Bio     Ibraheem Adeola Katibi     ASUU     Ilorin South     Zainab Abass     Arik     Ilesha-Baruba-Gwanara     Quareeb     Dan Iya Of Ilorin     Tafida     Facebook     Countryside Emerging Leaders Fellowship     Omoniyi Ayinla     Bamikole Omishore     Saliu Ajibola Ajia     Okedare     Park     SWAN     Ishola Moses Abiodun     Lai Mohammed     Alore     Elelu     Niguel Gallando Marcias     Abdulkarim Adisa     Kawu Baraje     Baba Isale     Tunde Akanbi     Gbadeyan Gbadura Yomi