FORMER SPEAKER of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara has been sacked from the green chamber over his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Dogara was sacked by Justice D.U. Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday.
Okorowo ruled that Dogara’s defection from the PDP to the APC was wrong and meant he should vacate his seat in the House.
Dogara represents Dass/Tafawa Balewa/Bogoro Federal Constituency of Bauchi State.
He was re-elected to represent the constituency in the 2019 general election under the platform of the PDP.
However, in July 2020, Dogara dumped the PDP and defected to the ruling APC.
The PDP had shortly after his defection, prayed the court to order Dogara to vacate the seat since he had defected from the party that sponsored his re-election.
The plaintiffs included the PDP and its Bauchi State Chairman, Hamza Koshe.
Dogara, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC were the defendants.
The PDP had in the suit 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.
The PDP held that Dogara cannot continue to take part in the activities of the House as an APC member while still using the PDP ticket.
In the same vein, the PDP contended that there was no crisis or division in the party to justify Dogara’s defection.
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