Court Voids Jibrin’s Suspension After Lawmaker Ate Humble Pie

OrderPaperToday – After resuming and apologising to be allowed back to the House, the Federal High Court in Abuja on  on Thursday voided the 180-legislative-day suspension imposed by the House of Representatives on a former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin (APC, Kano).

It would be recalled that Jubrin was on September 28, 2016 and after apologising to the House, he was allowed back to the House on 13th March, 2018.

Delivering judgment in the suit filed by Jibrin to challenge the sanction imposed on him, Justice John Tsoho, declared the suspension of the legislator as unconstitutional and ordered the lower legislative chamber to pay him all the salary due to him for the period he was unjustly suspended.

The judge read in part: “The suspension was an interruption of his earning which will be automatically restored especially when it has been decided that the action was a nullity by virtue of granting prayers 1 and 3 of the originating summons.

“When an action is declared nullity it is deemed that it never happened.”

In his ruling, Justice Tsoho agreed with Jibrin’s lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), in holding that the lawmaker’s act act was a lawful one, and suspending him because of it was an attempt to gag him.

“There is no better conclusion that the plaintiff was carrying out the mandate imposed on members by Chapter 7 (7.5) of the Code of Conduct for Honourable Members adopted on November 4, 2004,” the judge ruled.