BREAKING: Suit Seeking Sack Of Saraki, Dogara, 52 Other Lawmakers Over Defection Struck Out

A suit seeking to declare vacant the seats of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, House of Reps Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, and 52 other federal lawmakers, has been thrown out by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The suit which was filed on September 14, 2018 by a civic group, Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), had asked the court to declare the lawmakers’ seats vacant for defecting from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to opposition political parties.

Recall that in July 2018, 37 House of Reps members and 14 Senators dumped the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Both Saraki and Dogara eventually dumped the ruling party for the PDP.

LEDAP, in its suit, named the Senate President and House of Reps Speaker, amongst others, as defendants.

But in their filing, Saraki and Dogara asked the court to dismiss the suit for allegedly lacking in merit and abusing court process.

In his ruling on Friday, the trial judge, Okon Abang, held that “the plaintiff’s case has merit but lacks locus standi to institute the case.”

“The plaintiff that instituted this case is not a political party that sponsored the election of the lawmakers.

“Also the plaintiff is not Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that regulates the activities of political parties and monitor elections.

“The plaintiff is not a registered voter in Nigeria.

“They are not members of the National Assembly.”

“None of the political party that sponsored the lawmakers is a party in this case.”

“They, therefore, lack the capacity, legal power to institute the case.

“The plaintiff’s case is incompetent and thereby struck out,” Mr Abang ruled.