Kwara State House of Assembly has declared the seat of the lawmaker representing Ojomu/Balogun Constituency in Offa Local Government Area of the state, Saheed Popoola, vacant for defecting from the All Progressives Congress to the Social Democratic Party.
The announcement was made by Speaker of the Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, during plenary on Thursday March 31.
Reacting to this, Popoola accused the speaker and others lawmakers of fighting the law, claiming that he secured an injunction from the state High Court barring the assembly and the Independent National Electoral Commission from declaring his seat vacant.
The sacked lawmaker said;
“The speaker and the members of the Kwara State House of Assembly have no right to declare my seat in the assembly vacant. Even INEC also has no right because a Kwara State High Court presided over by Justice Yusuf has granted an injunction that they have no power to declare my seat vacant.
“They are all fighting with the law and the speaker and the Kwara State House of Assembly, as well as the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, have been served. They are aware of the court service”
However reacting to the claim, the speaker stated that their action was in line with section 109 (1)G of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
Salihu maintained that there was no basis for Popoola to leave the APC as there was no division in the political party of which he was previously sponsored.
The Speaker added that they’ve informed the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state that Ojomu/Balogun Constituency seat is now vacant following Saheed Popoola’s defection to another party.
