Kogi Assembly declares seat of former Speaker vacant

   The Kogi State House of Assembly has declared vacant the seat of the immediate past Speaker of the Assembly, Umar Ahmed Imam, who represents Lokoja I constituency.

Newsmen recalls that the former Speaker, who is contesting for the forthcoming bye-election in the state, defected to the Social Democratic Party SDP, stating that the ruling APC was in crisis.



The decision to declare Imam’s seat vacant was sequel to a letter sent to the House by the state chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Bello, a motion moved by the House Majority Leader, Bello Hassan Abdullahi and a letter sent to the House by the former Speaker announcing his defection to a new party.

Seconding the motion over the letter sent to the House for the seat of the embattled former Speaker to be declared vacant, the deputy Majority Leader, Ahmed Muhammed APC Ankpa I declared that the motion was timely.

He added to the prayers, that the official vehicle given to the former Speaker by the state government be withdrawn.

When the matter was thrown up for deliberations by the current Speaker, Mathew Kolawole, APC Kabba Bunu Momoh Jimoh Lawal  PDP Okene II disagreed with the letter of the All Progressives Congress chairman and the motion moved by the majority leader.

He also cited Section 109 sub-section 1g of the 1999 constitution to backup his claim.

Momoh Rabiu member representing (APC Ankpa II), in his remarks, notified his colleagues that they are lawmakers and not law breakers.

Other lawmakers, who distanced themselves from the motion, were: Barrister Oluwatoyin Lawal (PDP Yagba West), Zakari Osewu (APC Kogi Koton Karfe ), and Obaro Pedro.

While those who supported the motion were: Ododo Moses APC Dekina Beraidu Abdulkareem Kekere Okehi Lawi Ahmed Okene I Adoke Muktar APC Adavi, John Aba APC Ibaji, Jimoh Omiata APC Yagba East.

In his summation, the Speaker of the House, Mathew Kolawole stressed that he was on the side of the law on the matter, before the House directed the Clerk to convene the resolution of the Assembly to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.

Source: Daily Post