A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, ordered former Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, to vacate his seat as member representing Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Federal Constituency in Bauchi State.
Delivering judgment, Justice Donatus Okorowo, declared that having defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dogara was no longer qualified to occupy the seat by virtue of Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution.
Dogara was in 2019, re-elected on the platform of the PDP to represent Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Federal Constituency of Bauchi State at the National Assembly.
He, however, 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.
Dissatisfied with his action, the PDP and its Bauchi State Chairman, Hamza Akuyam, through their team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN, approached the court to declare his seat vacant.
Justice Okorowo 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, Dogara ought to vacate the seat as he was no longer qualified to partake in the activities of the lower house.
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.
PDP and one of its members in Bauchi State had sued Dogara, then Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Other defendants were the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC, as first to fourth defendants, respectively.
