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.

Kayode Ogunlowo     Makama     Ola Falade     KWASIEC     Umaru Saro     Durbar Festival     Peculiar Allowance     IFK     Moses Rahman Popoola     Patience Jonathan     Taofeeq Olateju     Yahaya Abdulkareem Babaita     Bilikisu Oniyangi     Ibrahim Mohammed     Hausa     SSUCOEN     Lukman Oyebanji Fagbemi     Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq     Sa\'adu Salau     Cassava Growers\' Association     Ahmed Saidu Rufai     Tsado Manman     Ibrahim Abikan     High Court     Elerin Of Erin-Ile     Ilorin Emirate Stakeholders Forum     Saidu Yaro Musa     Muhammed Taofeeq Abdulrazaq     Abdulkareem Alabi     Bolakale Ayo     Lanre Jimoh     Mutawali Of Ilorin     Elesie Of Esie     John Obuh     Mamatu Abdullahi     Balogin Alanamu     Transition Implementation Committee     Split Diamond Interchange     Oyun     Kwara State Printing And Publishing Corporation     Tunde Yusuf     Razaq Atunwa     Mohammed Ajia Ibrahim     Sunday Fagbemi     Onilorin     Binta Sulyman     Bureau Of Lands     Sango-UITH Road     TIC     Abubakar Bature Sulu-Gambari     Risikat Lawal     Moses Salami     Saliu Shola Taofeek     Nigeria Governors\' Forum     Isaac Gbenle     Abdulfatah Ahmed     Kwarareports.com     Towoju     Olaiya Zuberu     Innocent Okoye     Kpotum Mohammed Baba     AbdulHakeem Ajibola Akanbi     Oyelere Oyinloye     Maryam A. Garuba     Bolaji Aladie     Amos Justus Sayo     Kolo     Aliyu U. Tilde     Emmanuel Bello     Yusuf Ibitokun Sherifat     Kwara State Health Insurance Agency     Sadiq Buhari     Reuben Paraje     Kamaldeen Ajibade     Royal FM     Offa Descendants Union     Kwara State Television (KWTV)    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Sarkin Malamai     Public Holiday     Abdulwasiu Bolaji Adeyi     Khadijat Ayoola Yusuf     Lai Mohammed     Mufti Of Ilorin     Alfa Belgore     Hakeem Idris     Yakub Lai Gobir     Yahaya Muhammad     AGILE Programme     Saka Saadu     Taofeeq Olateju     Forgo Battery Company Limited     Florence Saraki     Balogun-Ojomu     Ibrahim Abiodun     Tunde Idiagbon Road     Rachael Obisesan     Yunus Oniboki     VADA     Afin Descendants Union Of Odo-Owa     Segun Adeniyi     Toyin Sanusi     Opaleke Bukola Iyabo     Taofeek Sanusi     Aliyu Sabi     Ayo Opadokun     Taiwo Joseph     Ishola Moses Abiodun     Olosi Of Osi     KwaraLearn     Kola Olota     Bello Taoheed Abubakar     SWAN     Pakata Patriots     Olumide Daniel Ibitoye     Kwara State Television     Okedare     National Information Technology Development Agency     John Olobayo     Salihu Yahaya     Firdaos Amasa     Medview Airlines     Mamatu Abdullahi     Toyin Abdullahi     Dasuki Belgore     Garba Ado Sanni     Village Alive Development Association     Sheu Ndanusa Usman     Kwara State Television (KWTV)     Unilorin     Olatunde Michaels     Abdulhakeem Adelaja Amao     Kwara 2023     Adama Isa     Abdulraheem Olesin     Kisira     Curfew     Hamidu Olowo     Okoolowo     Al-Hikmah Radio     Tsaragi/Share     Alimi Abdulrazaq     Sayomi     Harafat E. Mukadam     Post-utme     Abdul-Rahoof Bello     Old Oyo     Ilorin Airport     Amoyo     Olam Food Ingredients     Kale Bayero     Aishat Mohammed Lawal     Abubakar Lah     Ajibola Ademola Julius     Fulani