Court nullifies suspension of Ogun Assembly ex-Deputy Speaker
An Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta, on Friday, nullified the suspension of a former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Dare Kadiri, describing it as unconstitutional.
Hon. Justice O. A. Onafowokan of the High Court 3, Abeokuta judicial division, while delivering judgment in a suit brought before the court, also held that the lawmaker’s suspension was an abuse of power and abuse of office by the Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, the House of Assembly and the Clerk of the House.
The court further ordered that all emoluments due to the lawmaker, who represents Ijebu North II State Constituency, be paid immediately by the state House of Assembly.
It will be recalled that the House, in September 2022, suspended Kadiri and another lawmaker, Solomon Osho, representing Remo North State Constituency, over allegations bordering on breach of the rights and privileges of the state legislature.
At a plenary presided by the Speaker at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the House said the lawmakers were suspended in line with the provisions of sections 14 and 15 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017.
The Speaker claimed during the session that the document containing the suspension of the lawmakers had been signed by the appropriate number of colleague lawmakers; hence it needs no other procedure before implementation.
However, the House later pardoned and recalled Osho while Kadiri was approached the court to challenge his suspension.
Meanwhile, Hon. Dare Kadiri has explained that his visit to Assembly Complex after his victory at the Ogun State High Court in Abeokuta was to take his drugs that was kept in his office for over seven months.
Hon Kadiri who according to him was hypertensive, disclosed that for the past seven months, he has been denied assess to his office to take the special drug given to him by his doctor in London due to his suspension.
While speaking to journalists shortly after the court judgement at the state Assembly Complex, Hon. Kadiri who was accompanied by his lawyer and loyalists denied invading the Assembly Complex, saying he was there to take up his drugs.
He explained further that the media report that he and his loyalists invaded the Complex was untrue, rather he was embarrassed by the top officials in the Assembly Complex.
According to him, “we had a court judgement today and I came here because I have my drugs in my office because I am hypertensive, but I’ve not been having assess to it for the past seven months, so I have to start buying anyone from Nigeria while the one in my office was specially given to me by my doctor in London.
So immediately after the judgement which favored me, one of the legal officers of the Assembly was in court and she got here before us (Assembly) I believed she ought to have briefed the clerk or people in the Assembly
On my way to process my office, I couldn’t get my key, during the process, I saw Deputy clerk and other staff coming to embarrass me and members of my constituents who came to give me support because we were coming from the court”
I will be here on Monday maybe they will not honour the court and I appreciate the judge, he really did justice to the case because I was impeached for nothing by the speaker, he (speaker) went ahead to suspend me because I exposed him to EFCC for stealing and forgery.
On his parts, his counsel, Boluwatife Sanya said the judgement in a suit where, Hon. Kadiri was suspended, the court nullified the suspension and described it unconstitutional and gross abuse of office by the speaker and the clerk of the house which is defendant to the suit.
“The court ordered that he should go back to his office and all his emoluments salaries should be return back to him, the counsel concluded.
