PDP member-elect blocks Kwara Assembly entrance, seeks inauguration

A mild drama occurred at the gate of the Kwara State House of Assembly on Wednesday as the only Peoples Democratic Party member-elect, Abdulraheem Agboola, barricaded entrance of the assembly complex.

The PUNCH gathered that Agboola reportedly blocked the main gate of the complex following his inability to enter the House located in Asa dam area, Ilorin at about 9.30am.

The Speaker, Yakubu Danladi, has refused to swear in Agboola after securing victory at the Appeal Court and collecting the Certificate of Return from Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Court of Appeal in December 2019 declared Agboola as the winner of the Ilorin South constituency election, thereby nullifying victory of Hassan Abdulazeez of the All Progressives Congress.

Danladi said Agboola could not be sworn in because a case had been filed at the Federal High Court, Ilorin challenging his (Agboola) victory.

But in March this year, the Federal High Court dismissed the suit filed by the assembly and ordered that Agboola should be sworn in as the duly elected member of the assembly.

Since then, Agboola had neither been sworn in nor allowed to enter the Assembly premises.

The drama forced the assembly to postpone the swearing-in of All Progressives Congress member-elect, Adam Rufai to represent Patigi State Constituency in the house.

Agboola said he went to the assembly on Wednesday in response to the information passed by the clerk, Hajia Jumai Kperogi that members of the Assembly should report at the House on Wednesday.

“There was an announcement by the Clerk of the Kwara House of Assembly that all members should report on Wednesday and as an elected member, I went to report. When I got to the gate, the security men there asked for my name and I told them. I even showed them the certificate of return issued to me by INEC. They told me to wait till they contacted the speaker. They went to the speaker and I later saw some police and NSCDC officials who came to me.

“Later, the state Commissioner of Police sent the OC ops to me to come to his office. I went to him, but the Speaker and other officials of the Assembly did not show up. The Commissioner said that the meeting had been postponed to Friday.”