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.

Samuel Adaramola     Galadiman Ngeri     IF-K     Ita-Ore     Bayo Lawal     Umar Sanda Yusuf     Oke-Odo     Usman Alkali Baba     Idiagbon     Iyabo Adewuyi     Ishaq Oloyede     Christian Association Of Nigeria     Yusuf A. Usman     Ahmad Olayiwola Kamaldeen     Aliyu Olatunji Ajanaku     Elerinjare-Ibobo     Federal Polytechnic Offa     Elections     Kamaldeen Kehinde     Abdulwaheed Musa     Universal Basic Education Commission     NSCIA     Roseline Oni Aremu     Isaac Gbenle     Erubu     Olaitan Buraimoh     Ilofa     Timothy Olatunde Fadipe     Share-Tsaragi     Ophthalmological Society Of Nigeria     Abubakar B.M     Kassim Babamale     Ibrahim Abikan     Centre For Community Empowerment And Poverty Eradication     Lawal Olohungbebe     Iyiola Oyedepo     Matthew Okedare     Abdulquowiyu Olododo     Muyideen Ajani Bello     Paul Odama     Kishira     Abdulrasaq Alaro     Abiodun Musa Aibinu     Abdulrasheed Na\'Allah     2023 Elections     Ubandoma     Okin Biscuits     SAPZ Project     Ajike People Support Centre     Razaq Ayobami Akanbi     Ramadan     Ahmed Alhasssan     School Of Nursing     Kawu     Face Masks     Sebastine Obasi     AbdulRahman Saad     QuickWin     Ahman Patigi     Elerin Of Adanla     Oko Erin     Niguel Gallando Marcias     Www.Kwarareports.com     Pakata     Trader Moni     Saka Adeyemo     Salami Adekunle     AbdulRazaq Jiddah     Zara Umar     Charcoal     Ibrahim Jawondo     Ishola Balogun Fulani     Abdullahi Samari     Democracy Day     Ridhwanullah Al-Ilory     Hikmah AbdulKareem     Abdulrasheed Akogun    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Tunji Oyawoye     Kayode Oyin Zubair     Yusuf Lawal     Mumini Ishola Hanafi     Omoniyi Ayinla     NULGE     Odo-Owa     Abdullahi G. Mohammad     Ilorin Water Reticulation     Fulani     Universal Basic Education Commission     Binta Sulyman     Adijat Adebiyi     Yusuf Abdulraheem     Ronke Adeyemi     Rafiu Olasile     Oba Sulaiman Asude     Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa     Imam Gambari     Yahya Mohammed     Abdulmajeed Abdullahi     Bello Oyebanji     Kamaldeen Ajibade     Apaokagi     Quareeb     Risikat Lawal     Alaiye     Samuel Adaramola     Abubakar Abdulraheem     Isaac Aderemi Kolawole     Edu     Galland Marcias     Henry Makinwa     Rafiu Ajakaye     Babaita     Local Government Pension Board     Doyin Agbamu     Hassanat Bello     Nagode     Simeon Ajibola     Abegunde Goke     Alimi Abdulrazaq     Moji Makanjuola     AbdulHakeem Ajibola Akanbi     Abdulsalam A. Yusuf     Jumoke Gafar     Roheemat Hammed     Elections     Aro Yahaya     Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq     3MTT     Aliyu U. Tilde     Igbaja     Noah Yusuf     Allocation     Marufat Oladosu     LABTOP     Abdulhakeem Adelaja Amao     Mustapha AbdulGaniyu     Arinola Lawal     Ibrahim Oniye     Ifelodun     Wasiu Odewale     Nurudeen Muhammed     Jide Ashonibare     Ajakaye     Sulyman Abdulkareem     Abdulquawiy Olododo     Umar Gunu     Toyin Sanusi     Vasolar Consultoria     Malete     Sa\'adatu Modibbo-Kawu     Chikanda     Sanusi Abubakar     Funmilayo Oniwa     Olatunde Michaels