Court Voids House Of Reps' Suspension Of Jibrin

A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared unlawful the 2016 decision by the House of Representatives to suspend one its members, Abdulmumin Jibrin for 180 days, The Nation reports. 

 

Justice John Tsoho, in a judgment on Thursday, held that the House of Reps, in suspending Jibrin beyond the 14 days allowed under its Rules, violated the House’s Rules and Jibrin’s constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of expression and fair hearing.

 

The judgment was on a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/CS/595/2016 filed on October 14, 2016 shortly after his suspension in September.

 

The judge described as laughable the decision by the House of Reps to suspend a member on the grounds that he reported cases of corrupt practices against its leadership to anti-corruption agencies.

 

He said, in a democracy, the lawful option opened to the House”s leadership, against who such allegations were made, was to go before the agencies to clear their names rather than resorting to undemocratic tactics.