Politics
CONTEST FOR HOUSE SPEAKERSHIP: Court asked to disqualify Gbajabiamila over conviction
There is no doubt that the race to the ninth House of Representatives is taking a new turning daily as an Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has been asked to disqualify Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila from contesting for the position of speaker due to a conviction abroad.
In a suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/539/2019, the court was requested to pronounce that Gbajabiamila, who was cited as the 1st defendant, “is not fit and proper to be elected as a member of the House of Representatives and/or as Speaker of the House of Representatives”.
Equally joined as defendants in the matter was the House of Reps, Attorney-General of the Federation, and All Progressives Congress (APC).
The plaintiff, Mr Philip Undie, who identified himself as a taxpayer, in a 25-paragraph affidavit, said he has evidence that the 1st defendant was convicted by the Supreme Court of Georgia in 2007.
Read also: Fayemi elected Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum
He however, requested the court to determine “whether upon the construction of section 66 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, vis-à-vis the judgement of the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia, Atlanta, USA, in suit No. SO6YO829 in the matter of Femi Gbaja, the 1st defendant is the fit and proper person to be elected to the House of Representatives and/or to the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.”
However, there is yet to be a date fixed for the hearing of the suit.
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