Abbas declares Tunji-Ojo, Sununu’s seats vacant after appointment as ministers

Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, has declared the seats of lawmakers appointed as ministers by President Bola Tinubu, vacant.

Tunji Olubunmi-Ojo and Tanko Sununu were the two members of the green chamber appointed as ministers by Tinubu.

Olubunmi-Ojo represented Akoko north-east/ Akoko north-west of Ondo state, while Sununu represented Yauri/Shanga/Ngaski federal constituency of Katsina.

Tinubu had appointed Olubunmi-Ojo as minister of interior, and Tanko Sununu as minister of state for education.

Abbas declared the seats of the former lawmakers vacant after reading their letters of resignation as members of the house of representatives during the plenary on Tuesday.

The declaration of the seats vacant by the speaker is in line with section 68 of the 1999 constitution.

Section 68 of the 1999 constitution states that: “(1) A member of the Senate or the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if -he becomes President, Vice-President, Governor, Deputy Governor or a Minister of the Government of the Federation or a Commissioner of the Government of a State or a Special Adviser.”

In June, Femi Gbajabiamila, former speaker of the house, resigned as a member of the 10th house of representatives after Tinubu appointed him as his chief of staff. His seat was thereafter declared vacant.

Meanwhile, Salisu Majigiri, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been sworn in as a member of the house.

Majigiri was declared the winner of the 25 February election to represent Mashi/Dutsi federal constituency of Katsina.

He polled 27,387 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mansir Ali of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 20,596 votes.

However, his candidacy faced opposition from Nazifi Yusuf, a PDP member, who took the dispute all the way to the supreme court, where his victory was confirmed.