APC Defection: Group Sues Yakubu Dogara, Asks Court To Declare NASS Seat Vacant

Former speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has been dragged to court following his defection to the All Progressive Congress.

Dogara is currently representing Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency of Bauchi state.

The plantiff is praying the Federal High Court Abuja “to declare vacant the seat of the Rt. Hon. Yabuku Dogara at the House of the Representatives, and ordering INEC to conduct a bye-election to fill the vacant seat.”

The suit, obtained by our correspondent, was filed on Monday by Incorporated Trustees of United Global Resolve for Peace Organisation, through its counsel, Michael Okejimi Esq. of Messrs. Micheal Okejimi & Co. Law Empire

Defendants in the suit are: the former Speaker (1), Peoples Democratic Party (2), All Progressive Congress (3), Speaker of the House of Representatives (4), Independent National Electoral Commission (5); and the Attorney General of the Federation (6).

Recall that the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dogara, had defected back to the ruling APC on July 24, citing anomalies in the PDP leadership, particularly in his state, Bauchi.

According to the originating summons, the plantiff seeks to argue the following:

“Whether by the combined interpretation of the provisions of Sections 68(1) (g), 221 and 65(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the 1st Defendant has not automatically vacated his seat as a member of the House of the Representatives, having defected to another political party(the 3rd defendant) and having left the political party (the 2nd Defendant) which sponsored his election to the House of Representatives.

“Whether by the combined interpretation of the provisions of Sections 68(1)(g), 221 and 65(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as amended), the 1st Defendant has not ceased to be member of the House of Representatives upon defecting from the 2nd Defendant, which sponsored and provided him the platform to contest his seat as a member of the House of Representatives, to another political party.”

Hence, the plantiff among other things, sought an order directing Dogara to vacate his seat as well as ” restraining the 4th defendant or any other person acting in that office from further recognizing the 1st Defendant as member of the House of Representatives.”

The court is yet to fix a date for hearing on the matter.