Defection: Saraki, Dogara, others win at Federal High Court

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the suit seeking the sack of the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and 52 other lawmakers for defecting to other parties.

A civil society organization, Legal Defence and Assistant Project, instituted the action, arguing for the court to issue an order directing Bukola Saraki and other federal lawmakers to vacate their seats, contesting that “this is because they defected from the political parties that sponsored their elections.”

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The group demanded the senators and House of Representatives members to refund all salaries paid to them effective from the day of defection.

In his judgment, Justice Okon Abang held that the plaintiff’s case has merit but he lacks the locus Standi or legal right to institute the case.

He stressed that LEDAP is not a political party that sponsored the election of the lawmakers and is not the electoral agency that regulates the activities of political party.