Plenary Attendance: Court Grants Ekimogun Roundtable Leave to Serve National Assembly, Hon. Abiola Makinde
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted leave to the Registered Trustees of the Ekimogun Roundtable to apply for an order of Mandamus against the National Assembly, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Honourable Abiola Makinde, the member representing Ondo East/West Federal Constituency.
The decision, delivered by Hon. Justice B.F.M. Nyako on March 13, 2025, followed an ex-parte motion filed on March 12, 2025, by the applicant. The motion seeks to compel the National Assembly to fulfill its statutory duty by disclosing information regarding the plenary attendance of Hon. Abiola Makinde, who the group alleged has abandoned his legislative responsibilities, leaving the constituency without adequate representation for an extended period.
Specifically, the group is requesting details of Hon. Makinde’s attendance at plenary sessions as well as records of constituency and intervention funds allocated to Ondo East/West Federal Constituency during the period under review. According to the group, these requests are grounded in Section 68(f) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which provides that a lawmaker who fails to attend the required number of plenary days in a legislative year may be compelled to vacate their seat.
Ekimogun Roundtable further claims to be tracking over N4 billion allocated to the constituency through the National Assembly in the last four years, funds they allege remain largely unaccounted for due to misrepresentation.
The motion, supported by an affidavit sworn to by Ogah Blessing Nneku-Ojo, a legal practitioner, emphasized that the respondents had failed to respond to legitimate demands for information, thereby prompting legal action. Represented by lead counsel Timilehin Albert, Esq., who led a team of over twenty other lawyers in the suit, the applicant argued that the requested disclosures were in the public interest and necessary for transparency and accountability in governance.
The court granted the applicant leave to proceed with the order of Mandamus, directed that the respondents be put on notice, and adjourned the matter to May 19, 2025, for mention.
The National Assembly and Hon. Abiola Makinde have since been formally served.
