By InfactNG
Former Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has been sacked from the House of Representatives, InfantNG has learnt.
A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, ordered Dogara to vacate his seat as member representing Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Federal Constituency in Bauchi State.
Justice Donatus Okorowo, in his ruling declared that having defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dogara ceased to be a member of the House.
The judge said he was no longer qualified to occupy the seat by virtue of Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution.
Dogara elected into the House in 2019, on the platform of the PDP to represent Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Federal Constituency of Bauchi State at the National Assembly.
But he defected to the APC on July 24, 2020, after he submitted a resignation letter to the PDP Chairman of Bogoro ‘C’ Ward in the state.
PDP therefore approached the court to declare his seat vacant through its Bauchi State Chairman, Hamza Akuyam, with their team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN.
Justice Okorowo relying on Section 68(1)(g) said that Dogara should have vacated the seat as he was no longer qualified to partake in the activities of the lower house.
He therefore aligned with the argument of PDP that by defecting from the party that sponsored him to the ninth National Assembly, before the expiration of his tenure, he has no business to retain his seat.
The judge, who held that the action of the lawmaker was prohibited by law, agreed that the aim of Section 68(1)(g) was to check political prostitution among legislators.
“The judgment is, therefore, given in favour of the plaintiffs. I hereby grant the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs,” he declared.
Other defendants were the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC, as first to fourth defendants, respectively.
