[UPDATE] Omo-Agege Floors Senate As Court Overturns His Suspension

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege’s suspension by the Nigerian Senate has been declared ‘‘unconstitutional’’ by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Omo-Agege, who is the federal lawmaker representing Delta Central in the Senate, was recently suspended for 90 legislative days by the upper chamber of the National Assembly, for speaking against the Senate’s bid to re-order the sequence of the 2019 general elections.

The Senator had claimed that the Red Chamber’s bid to re-order the 2019 election sequence was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election.

Prior to his suspension by Senate’s Ethics and Privileges Committee on April 13, Omo-Agege had approached the court to challenge the decision of the committee to investigate his allegations.

In his ruling today, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba nullified Senate’s suspension of the lawmaker, saying the basis for the suspension was illegal.

Although Justice Dimgba held that the Red Chamber had the power to discipline its erring members, he however ruled that Omo-Agege’s suspension violated the constitution.

The presiding judge said, “Access to court is a fundamental right in the Constitution which cannot be taken away by force or intimidation from any organ.”

Against the 90 legislative days suspension handed Senator Omo-agege, the presiding judge reminded the Senate that sections 67(4) of the Senate Standing Rules 2014 and section 21(2) of the Legislative Houses Powers and Privileges Act only permits Red Chamber to hand no more than 14 legislative days of suspension to its erring members.

Justice Dimgba equally ruled that it was a breach of the principle of natural justice for the Senate to allow Senator Dino Melaye to partake in its Ethics and Privileges Committee that recommended Omo-Agege’s suspension because Mr Melaye was a petitioner in the matter.

Recall that Senator Omo-Agege was alleged to have led the hoodlums who recently stormed the Senate and carted away its symbol of authority after he was suspended.