Declaring My Seat Vacant Is Illegal, Says Kwara Lawmaker

A member of Kwara State House of Assembly representing Ojomu/Balogun Constituency of Offa Local Government Area of the state, Hon. Saheed Adekeye Popoola, yesterday, described the purported declaration of his seat vacant by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Salihu-Danladi, as illegal and uncalled for over his recent defection from All Progressives Congress(APC) to the Social Democratic Party(SDP).

Popoola said that he had filed a restraining order through the court which the House has acknowledged since Monday 28th March, 2022 and the House decision to declare his seat vacant was illegal and contravened the court order.

Salihu-Danladi, who read the decision of the House on Thursday, said that the development was borne out of the letter written to the House by the state chapter of the APC to declare the seat of Hon. Popoola vacant for defecting from the party to the SDP.

The Speaker said that the decision to declare the lawmaker seat vacant was in consonance with Section 109 (1) G of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.”

He said that “the constitution is clear as Hon. Saheed Popoola ought to have vacated his seat at Ojomu/Balogun Constituency of Offa Local Government having defected from All Progressives Congress (APC) to Social Democratic Party, (SDP).”

Popoola while speaking with journalists in Ilorin on the development, said that “No individual or group of persons including the Speaker of the House has any locus standi to declare his seat vacant over his defection from APC to the SDP.

According to him, his defection to SDP was borne out of the intra party crisis that ensued during the time of his membership of the APC which was factionalised into two groups .

He said that “I have obtained court injunction which I served all the parties concerned on Monday (28th March, 2022) and which they all acknowledged of the restraining order on the move to declare my seat vacant.”

According to him, “I want to say that no any individual or group of persons and even INEC have locus standi to declare my seat vacant on the premises of my defection from APC to SDP.

“When I heard the rumour, I obtained a court injunction on Monday(28th March, 2022) and which the court served the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Salihu-Danladi and all other parties and which they all acknowledged without any problem.

“So, if any contrary occurs now, it is an illegal action and null and void and the court will take appropriate action without further delay.”

“My defection from APC to SDP carried the support of my constituency and which they all supported the move in view of the intra party crisis in APC in Kwara State as the time of my defection.

“It is my constituency members that have right to recall me and not any individual or group of persons in certain quarters in the state,” Popoola added.

He therefore appealed to his teeming supporters in his constituency to remain calm as the court will take all necessary action on any illegal action.