OrderPaperToday – Senator Attai Aidoko (PDP, Kogi) has explained why he has continued to attend sitting at the red chamber despite a recent court judgement ordering him to vacate his seat.
Recall that a Federal High Court in Abuja on June 13 sacked Aidoko of the PDP as the Senator representing Kogi East Senatorial District. Justice Gabriel Kolawole in his judgment ordered the Clerk of the National Assembly to have Air Marshal Isaac Alfa (rtd) also of the PDP sworn in to replace Aidoko.
However, Senator Aidoko who reported for plenary yesterday and today explained that he had filed an appeal against the ruling which guarantees him a stay of stay of execution while adding that the Justice Kolawole’s judgement is “unenforceable”
His words: “The judgment of the court determined that Air Marshall is the candidate of the party. It is not the duty of the court to determine who the candidate of the party is; it is the duty of the party.
“To put the record straight, it is common knowledge that when the judgment of the Federal High Court is delivered and an application for stay and notice for appeal has been entered at the Court of Appeal, all the parties must stay action and that has always been the tradition.
“There is no point for the Air Marshall to begin to blackmail and run around to say he has the judgment and needs to be sworn in, no! I have already appealed”
Speaking further, Aidoko added that Alfa is trying to “arm twist” the Senate into swearing him in over a court judgement that is “unenforceable”.
“The second issue why he cannot be sworn in is that the judgement of the court is unenforceable as it is. The order the court gave is that the clerk of the National Assembly shall immediately administer oath of office on the plaintiff (Alfa) as the Senator representing Kogi East Senatorial district.
“It is not the function of the clerk of the National Assembly to administer an oath of office, it is the function of the Senate President by our rules, order 7 which is derived from section 60 of the constitution,” the Senator explained.
He advised Air Marshall Alfa to go back to the courts to obtain an amendment to the judgement in order to stand a chance of getting sworn-in.
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