Breaking: Court nullifies Senate decision on suspension of Senator Omo-Agege

Senator Ovie Omo- Agege's suspension has been
nullified by a Federal High Court in Abuja
- Nigerian Senate had suspended Senator Ovie Omo-
Agege for 90 legislative days
- The judge ruled that while the upper chamber had
the power to discipline its erring members but the
reason why the Delta Central Senator was suspended
was illegal
The decision of the Nigerian Senate to suspend
Senator Ovie Omo-Agege for 90 legislative days
has been squashed by a Federal High Court,
sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, May 10.
In delivering the judgement, Justice Nnamdi
Dimgba, submitted that the Senate did not
adhere to the due process of the law in
suspending Omo-Agege for 90 days, The Sun
reports.
Punch also reports that the judge ruled that
while the upper chamber had the power to
discipline its erring members but the reason why
the Delta Central Senator was suspended was
illegal.

The news outlet reports further that the judge
claimed that based on the wordings of the report
of the Senate’s Ethics and Privileges Committee
which recommended Omo-Agege’s suspension,
the senator was punished for filing a suit against
the Senate after apologising to the legislative
house over the allegation leveled against him.
“Access to court is a fundamental right in the Constitution
which cannot be taken away by force or intimidation from
any organ,” the judge ruled.
Going further, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba was said
to have added that the decision to punish Omo-
Agage for filing a suit against the Senate and for
punishing him was an affront on the judiciary
and even if the Senate was to punish him, it
could only do it for a period of 14 days as
prescribed in the Senate rules.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba was also said to have
ruled the the principle of natural justice was
breached because the Senate’s Ethics and
Privileges Committee allowed Senator Dino
Melaye, the complainant, to participate in the
committee’s sitting that consider the issue.
Consequently, Dimgba therefore nullified Omo-
Agage’s suspension “with immediate effect” and
ordered that the Omo-Agege be paid all his
allowances and salaries for the period he was
illegally suspended.
Adegokblog. had reported that the Senate had
suspended Ovie Omo-Agege an All Progressives
Congress (APC) Senator from Delta state, for 90
legislative days.

tthere .had also reported that the Urhobo
people in Delta state dragged the Senate before a
Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, seeking for
an order to stop the legislative body from
denying the ethnic group representation by the
suspension of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.

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