BY Dyepkazah Shibayan
Twenty nine constituents of Kiru/Bebeji in Kano state have taken Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, to court over the suspension of Abdulmumin Jibrin, their representative in the lower chamber of the national assembly.
Jibrin was suspended for 180 legislative days for allegedly breaching the privileges of lawmakers.
The breach of members privileges arose from the budget padding allegations he levelled against Dogara and other legislators.
Speaking with journalists in Kano on Friday, Bashir Muqaddam, counsel to the constituents, explained that Jibrin has the constitutional right to air his views as it affects the country.
While stating that Jibrin was suspended for exposing the “budget fraud”, Bashir said the plaintiffs wanted to know the authenticity of the suspension.
“The plaintiffs want a court interpretation on whether the the house of representatives has power to suspend its member for 180 days. Constitutionally, the number of days prescribed to the lower chamber regarding suspension is only 14 days,” the lawyer said.
He said the entire house and its clerk were also defendants in the suit.
The court has fixed December 20 for hearing of the matter.
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