Budget Padding: Court Voids Jibrin’s 2016 Suspension from House of Rep

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Thursday, May 24th, 2018

ABUJA, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja Thursday ruled as illegal, the 180 Legislative day suspension slammed on a former Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin.

Jibrin who hails from Kano State, due to altercation between him and Leadership of the House of Representatives was suspended September 28, 2016.

Justice John Tsoho in his ruling, declared the suspension of the Federal Lawmaker as unconstitutional, thus ordered the House to pay him his due salaries for the period he was illegally suspended.

The judge held that the suspension was an interruption of his earning, which would 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”, ruled Justice Tsoho.

Justice Tsoho also agreed with Jibrin’s lawyer, a human right activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), in holding that Jibrin’s act (leaking the budget padding by the House Leadership) was lawful, still, suspending him because of that amounted to an attempt to gag him.

He therefore ruled: “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”.

Upon termination of his suspension period, Hon Jibrin has since resumed normal activities in the House.