By Adesuwa Tsan
365Daily – An Abuja High Court has asked the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, to vacate his seat over his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Justice D.U. Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, gave the judgment on Friday, April 22, 2022.
The PDP has instituted a suit against Dogara who represents Dass/Tafawa Balewa/Bogoro Federal Constituency of Bauchi State, for moving back to the APC in 2020 after he won the 2019 reelection to the Green Chamber under its platform.
The PDP argued that by virtue of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, Dogara ought to vacate his seat for defecting from the party that sponsored him to the 9th National Assembly.
However, the former Speaker has said he will appeal the judgment. His counsel, J.J Usman, SAN, said in reaction to the judgment that the appeal process will begin on Monday.
He said: ‘The judgment has just been delivered and we have briefed our client right from the Court and he has expressed dissatisfaction against the judgment and has instructed that we file an appeal immediately which we shall do on Monday.
“The decision of the Court that there is evidence of defection to APC is not substantiated by any shred of evidence in the Court’s record. We are proceeding to the Court of Appeal immediately.”