Court sacks member representing Bali/Gassol federal constituency

At last, the federal high court sitting in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, has finally put to rest the lingering crisis between the member representing Bali/Gassol at the House of Representatives, Mubarak Gambo and Garba Chede.

The duo who are of the All Progressives Congress (APC) extraction, have been at each others neck on who deserves to represent the constituency at the National Assembly.

Chede who was earlier declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the last election was sacked by the court, leaving the incumbent to manage the position.

Garba Chede who was reinstated to his position by the federal high court on Tuesday had appealed the case.

In his ruling, the judge, Justice Simone Amonbita, urged the Mubarak Gambo to as a matter of urgency desist from parading himself as the member representing Bali/Gassol at the lower chamber of the National Assembly.

The judge also directed the dethroned member of the National Assembly to refund all the monies he had so far collected as allowance throughout his period of stay in the Assembly.

The judge who also directed INEC to as a matter of urgency issue out a certificate of return to Chede urged the leadership of the House of Representatives to go ahead and swear in Chede as the authentic member representing the area.

Elated by the ruling, counsel to Chede, Sa’ad Ibrahim Waziri, applauded the judge for taking the bull by the horns.

Also speaking, Counsel to Mubarak Gambo, Festus Idekpefo, said it is the decision of his client to appeal the ruling or not.