By Jimoh Sulyman
The seat of the lawmaker representing Ojomu/Balogun Constituency, Offa Local Government,at the Kwara state House of Assembly, Hon. Saheed Adekeye Popoola has been declared vacant.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Salihu Danladi made the announcement on Thursday on the floor of the House during the plenary session.
The Speaker noted that the declaration is in consonance withย Section 109 (1) G of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
He pointed out that the constitution is clear as Hon. Saheed Popoola ought to have vacated his seat at Ojomu/Balogun Constituency of Offa Local Government having defected from All Progressives Congress APC to Social Democratic Party, SDP
He also explained that since there is no division in the political party of which he was previously sponsored, there is no basis for him to dump it for another party.
Speaker Danladi submitted that the House has therefore informed Resident Electoral Commissioner inย the state of this development last Monday for further legislative action as Ojomu/Balogunย Constituency is now vacant with Saheed Popoola’s defection to another party.
The legislator while reacting to the decision of the House told National Pilot that neither the speaker of the House nor the INEC have the power to declare his seat or that of any member of the House vacant ,saying that only the court have such power.
He said, “I also just heard about it, I’m of the Opinion that the speaker doesn’t have any right to declare any member’s seat vacant and even the entire House of Assembly doesn’t have that right, even INEC doesn’t have the power, it is only the Court of Law.”
Popoola also revealed that the House has flagrantly disobeyed the Court order he had earlier secured from the state High court to stop the move by the house ,saying that they (KWHA) will have to face the Court.
“I have told the Court on Monday to stop them and they were served an injunction from the Court yesterday, there was a court order by Justice Yusuf of the state High court, and they were properly served at the House, but they have declined and disobeyed the Court order, it them and the Court that will face the whole thing now, not me”. he said.
