A Federal High Court, Abuja Division, has ordered the sack of Hon. Yakubu Dogara, member of Representatives representing Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Federal Constituency in Bauchi State .

Justice Donatus Okorowo who handed down the verdict on Friday, held that Dogara was no longer qualified to occupy the seat by virtue of Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution having defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the APC, as 1st to 4th
defendants in the suit.

Recall that PDP and one of its members in Bauchi State had, in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1060/20, dragged Dogara, the speaker of the House of Representatives to court, seeking his removal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Okorowo aligned with the argument of the 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, held that the action of the lawmaker was prohibited by law, agreed that the aim of Section 68(1)(g).

He declared that the Dogara was to check political prostitution among legislators, according to him, “The judgment is, therefore, given in favour of the plaintiffs I hereby grant the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs”.

The judge, held that the action of the lawmaker was prohibited by law, agreed that the aim of Section 68(1)(g).

NAN also recalled that Mr Dogara had, on July 24, 2020, defected from the PDP to the APC when he submitted a resignation letter to the chairman of the Bogoro ‘C’ Ward in the State.

The plaintiff, through their Counsel, Jubrin Jubrin, had argued that by virtue of Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution, by defecting from the party that sponsored him to the ninth National Assembly before the expiration of his tenure, Dogara should vacate the seat as he was no longer qualified to partake in the activities of the lower house.

In a related development, Okorowo had, earlier in a judgment, dismissed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/883/30 and filed by Incorporated Trustees of United Global Resources for Peace Organisation against Dogara and five others on the grounds that the group lacked a locus standi to institute the matter.

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