Constitutional Crisis as Group Asks Court sack 40 Lawmakers, Including Jibrin Barau and Ali Ndume.
A fresh legal challenge is threatening the positions of 40 Nigerian lawmakers at the National Assembly.
The Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP), a non-governmental organization, has initiated a court process seeking an order to compel the lawmakers to vacate their seats.
The group argues that it is unconstitutional for the lawmakers to hold concurrent membership of the National Assembly, ECOWAS Parliament, and the Pan-African Parliament, while receiving emoluments from all. ALDRAP had earlier called on the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to declare the seats of the affected lawmakers vacant, but the call was ignored.
The organization has now filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking a declaration that the lawmakers‘ continued membership in the National Assembly is unconstitutional. The group is also seeking an order directing the Clerk of the National Assembly to discontinue the payment of salaries and all forms of remuneration to the 40 lawmakers.
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Furthermore, ALDRAP is asking the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct bye-elections within 30 days to fill the vacant seats at the National Assembly.
The affected lawmakers include over 30 members of the National Assembly who were inaugurated as members of the ECOWAS parliament in April. The legal battle has sparked concerns about the implications for the National Assembly and the country’s political landscape.
The outcome of this legal challenge could have significant repercussions for the affected lawmakers and the National Assembly as a whole. If the court rules in favour of ALDRAP, it could lead to the removal of the 40 lawmakers and a fresh bye-election to fill the vacant seats.
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Who are the lawmakers affected?
Some of the lawmakers affected by this development include:
- Jibrin Barau, the deputy senate president and acting speaker of the ECOWAS sixth legislature
- Ali Ndume
- Abiodun Olujimi
- Smart Adeyemi
- Tolu Odebiyi
- Mshelia Haruna
And Others
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Why are they facing legal action?
The lawmakers are facing legal action for concurrently holding memberships in the National Assembly, ECOWAS Parliament, and the Pan-African Parliament and collecting emoluments from all. This is a breach of constitutional provisions.
What is the group asking the court to do?
The group is asking the court to make a declaration that the National Assembly should immediately discontinue the payment of salaries and all forms of remuneration to the 40 lawmakers.
The group is also asking the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct bye-elections within 30 days to fill the vacant seats at the National Assembly.
