Dogara bows to Supreme Court, swears in Benue female lawmaker
Henry Omunu, Abuja
At last, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has succumbed to pressure by swearing-in on Tuesday, Dorothy Mato as a member representing Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal Constituency of Benue State, who replaced Mr. Herman Hembe, who was sacked by the Supreme Court recently.
Rep. Mato was sworn-in at plenary after the Clerk of the House, Alhaji Adamu Abdulkadir, had administered the official oath on her.
The event was witnessed by supporters of the female House member who thronged the gallery.
The Daily Times recalls that last Thursday, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Rep. Abdulrazaq Namdas, had explained that Dogara was unable to swear in the member-elect from Benue because she was yet to complete her documentation.
Rep. Namdas, who disclosed this while briefing journalists, also stated that the National Assembly management has not presented Mato for swearing in.
The Supreme Court had in June this year sacked the erstwhile Chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Rep. Herman Hembe and declared Mato as the authentic winner of the 2015 general elections for Vandeikya/Konshisha federal constituency of Benue State.
The apex court consequently directed INEC to issue Mato the certificate of return and asked Speaker Dogara to immediately swear in the member-elect.
However, despite repeated attempts by Mato to assume her seat in the House, she was rebuffed by the House leadership until Hembe went back to Supreme Court seeking the reversal of the earlier judgement.
But, the Supreme Court again reaffirmed its earlier judgment and asked Dogara to comply with the verdict.
Rep. Namdas had confirmed at the briefing that Mato had cleared herself at the Code of Conduct but was yet to complete documentation in the House, three months after the judgement was given.
He said as a result, the bureaucracy at the National Assembly was unable to present her for swearing in.
“There is a judgement on ground. I have read about it’ I have heard about it, but the woman has not concluded her documentation. She has not presented herself to be sworn in; the management has not presented her,” he said.
Probed further on why it was taking too long for her to complete the documentation, Namdas explained that there are certain things she has to fulfill which have not been done.
