Defection: Court Abridges Hearing Time in Suit Seeking Sack of Dogara

Justice Okon Abang of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court yesterday abridged time in the hearing of a suit seeking the sack of immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara over his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) last year.

Dogara was in 2019 re-elected under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to represent Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Federal Constituency of Bauchi State at the National Assembly.

He however in 2020 defected from the PDP to the APC, thereby resulting to the court action instituted against him by his former party.

In the suit filed by the PDP and its Bauchi State Chairman, Hamza Akuyam, the plaintiffs are contending, among others, that by virtue of section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution, Dogara ought to vacate the seat for defecting from the party that sponsored him to the Ninth National Assembly before the expiration of his tenure.

At the last proceeding in December last year, the court had scheduled the case for hearing for March 5, 2021.

However at the resumed hearing yesterday, lawyer to the plaintiffs, Mr. Jibril Jibril prayed the court to abridge the time for the hearing of the suit claiming that Dogara is already enjoying legislative privileges as a member of the House of Representatives.

In a short ruling, the judge granted the application and fixed February 4, 2021 for hearing.

Those sued alongside Dogara, include the House of Representatives Speaker, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC.