By Christiana Ekpa
Senator Atai Aidoko (Kogi East), yesterday denied Media report over Appeal Court judgment, that his seat was declared vacant.
Deliberating over the Kogi East issue which came under order 42 of Senate rules at Tuesday’s plenary, Aidoko insisted that he was not sacked.
The lawmaker who wants to his seat retained expressed disappointment over the reportage of court proceedings by Justice Abdul Aboki.
He said all Nigerian social, print, and electronic media wrongly reported that he was sacked.
“Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, I like to come under order 42 which is a personal privilege to say that High Court’s judgment did not sacked me as reported. I was surprised that social, electronic and conventional media reported that I was sacked; and I have been washed with calls from my friends in and around the world.”
“I filed an application before the Court, the Federal High Court to the Court of appeal, asking the court of appeal to answer a constitutional question – where the court of appeal had in the pass asked that the Federal court has no jurisdiction to entertain who is the candidate.
“What is the effect of the decision of the low court when the order of the court of appeal has not been set aside? It was just a simple question I went for. It was not to determine anything about who is candidate or not.
“What Justice Abdul Aboki said was that we should go back to Federal High Court for a retrial.”
Meanwhile, investigation into the case indicated that Aidoko was asked to vacate the seat until determination of retrial at the Federal High Court.
A source in the judiciary who don’t want his name in print told our correspondent on Tuesday that the decision of Court of Appeal between Senator Atai Aidoko and Air Vice Marshall Isaac Alfa was a declaration of vacant seat.
“The appeal case between Senator Aidoko and Air Vice Marshall Isaac is a pre-election matter. The seat has been declared vacant by the Court, while they asked to go back to FHC for a retrial,” he confirmed.
It was recalled that Air Vice Isaac Alfa appealed the Court judgment sacking him for Aidoko on 14th December, 2016; and it had been legal fireworks since then.
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