Court restrains Kwara House from suspending member

JUSTICE T.S. Umar of an Ilorin High Court has restrained the Kwara state House of Assembly and its agents from suspending and investigating a member of the House, Hon. Saheed Popoola.

The legislator, representing Balogun/Ojomu constituency of Offa in the House of Assembly, is the only lawmaker who had refused to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) with 23 others to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

The House of Assembly had before now commenced process to investigate certificate of the lawmaker alleged to be irregular, while he was also accused of forgery, with alleged plan to suspend him.

Hon. Popoola, therefore, headed to court to challenge the purported plan of the House of Assembly.

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In the 32-paragraph affidavit filed on his behalf by his counsel, Barrister Ayinla Jawondo, in suit no KWS/103/2018 between the lawmaker and other members of the House of Assembly including the Speaker, citing relevant sections of the constitution, the applicant among others told the court that, “The defendants have no vires /power to suspend the claimant and or truncate and or in any way interfere with the claimant’s tenure and performance based on criminal allegations of forgery of educational qualifications submitted by the claimant.”

The judge, in his order, after hearing the motion, said that, “The defendants/respondents and or any person or group of persons acting on their behalf are hereby restrained from investigating, inquiring into, determining and or taking any step as Legislative House on criminal allegations of forgery of educational qualification(s) submitted by the claimant for election and issuance of dud/bounced cheques made against the claimant.

Justice Umar also said that, “The defendants /respondents, are hereby restrained from suspending the claimant/applicant and or truncating and or any way interfering with claimant/applicant’s tenure and performance, and enjoyment of his legislative functions and duties, pertaining to his office.”

The case was adjourned to August 17, 2018, for hearing.