ABUJA – Mr Duben Ugwunweze, a legal practitioner on Friday, commended the Supreme Court for reinstating Alhaji Abubakar Danladi, former Deputy Governor of Taraba.
Ugwunweze, who made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said that due process was not taken before he was impeached.
He said that the legal victory that Danladi had was because he did not take law into his hands but filed his case at the law court.
“There are laid down procedures to be taken before impeachment can happen, that did not happen, there was breached of procedure in the impeachment of Danladi.
“The action taken by the Supreme Court is proper; because the removal of the deputy governor said did not pass through due process of the law.”
The deputy governor challenged it in the court of law and the case was judged in his favour.
Commenting on the impeachment of the Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr Adewale Omirin, the lawyer said that the impeachment process did not pass through due process.
He stressed the need for the proper impeachment and removal of political officer holders to ensure social justice.
NAN recalls that Danladi was impeached on Oct. 4, 2012 on allegation bordering on fraud and abuse of office.
He was said to be guilty of using his office to divert the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) projects to Yagai Academy, his private school.
Ugwunweze described the incidence at the National Assembly on Thursday as “a show of shame’’, adding that the honourable members ought to have adopted proper way of addressing their grievances.
He said that the action of security agents at the National Assemble was to ensure restoration of law and order and prevent reoccurrence.
He said that the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, was expected to vacate his seat due to his defection from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Party (APC).
Quoting the 1999 Constitution, Section 68 (1) A, the lawyer said that “a member of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the house of which he is a member if he becomes a member of another legislative house.”
“Tambuwal is no longer a member of National Assembly, that is what the supreme court says as far back as 1979 in the case of Micheal Oloyo and Benson Alegbe, Speaker of old Bendel State.
“The section adds that if a member moves from the party that elected him or her before the expiration of tenure, the member will lose his or her seat.’’(NAN)