Polls: Kogi Assembly Suspends 9 Members, 4 Council Chairmen
The Kogi State House of Assembly, during its plenary yesterday, suspended nine of its 25 members over alleged gross misconduct, terrorism, electoral violence and anti-party activities during the recently concluded elections.
Daily Trust gathered that the decision to suspend the lawmakers and council chairmen was hinged on the adoption of letters from Governor Yahaya Bello and the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in the state, Bello Abdullahi, to that effect.
The suspended lawmakers who are members of the APC are Kilani Olushola (Ijumu); Suleiman Attajachi Musa (Idah); Bello Hassan (Ajaokuta); A. T. Ahmed (Okene I); Moses Akande (Ogori-Magongo); Aderonke Aro (Yagba West); Daniyan Raiyi (Bassa); Muktar Bajeh (Okehi) and Atule Egbunu (Ibaji).
The suspended council chairmen are Goke Oparirison and his vice (Ogori-Magongo); Moses Olurunleke and his vice (Kabba-Bunu); Muktar Mohammed and his vice (Bassa); while those of Yagba West, Pius Kolawole; Ajaokuta, Mustapha Akaaba; Adavi, Joseph Omuya; Ibaji, Williams Iko’ojo, were suspended without their vice chairmen.
The governor’s letter to the assembly had urged the Speaker of the house, Prince Matthew Kolawole, to investigate the culpability of the members in the alleged offences during the elections in the state.
A letter was also said to have originated from the APC state secretariat and signed by the Chairman of the party, Bello Abdullahi, intimating the legislators that the four chairmen had been suspended from the party by their ward executive councils.
Consequently, the assembly suspended four council chairmen and placed three others on an investigation, including the nine legislators, based on the letters from the governor and state party chairman.
Moving the motion for adoption, the Deputy Speaker, Alfa Momoh Rabiu (APC-Ankpa II), argued that by the virtue of the positions of the said legislators and council chairmen in the state, it was regrettable for them to break the law of the land.
