Defection: Dogara knows fate April 11 – Court

Judgement has been fixed for April 11 in a suit seeking to sack former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The suit was filed before Justice Donatus Okorowo of an Abuja Federal High Court by the PDP and its Bauchi State chairman Hamza Akuyam in 2020.

Dogara represents Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Federal Constituency of Bauchi State in the House of Representatives.

Parties in the suit include the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC.

The PDP had argued that the former Speaker, under Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution, was no longer qualified to be in the House of Representatives having abandoned the PDP, on whose platform won his election in 2019.

About two weeks ago Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja had sacked Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, as well as 15 lawmakers in the State House of Assembly, for defecting from the PDP to the APC.

On Monday, 20 federal and state lawmakers from the Cross River State House of Assembly were sacked by Justice Taiwo Taiwo of an Abuja Federal High Court, also for defecting from the PDP to the APC.