Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, representing Oyo Central Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been sued over alleged dual citizenship.
In the suit before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, five voters from the senatorial district alleged that she is a citizen of Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
This was contained in an originating summon, filed on September 14, 2015 in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/760/2015,copies of which were made available to newsmen in Ibadan yesterday.
The claimants in the suit are Wahab Abiodun, Alhaji Bola Akinyemi, Chief Emmanuel Olajide, Chief Samuel Elegbede and Chief Thomas Ajao, while Senator Sunmonu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are listed as first and second defendants respectively.
One of the prayers of the claimants, who have engaged Chief Titus Ashaolu (SAN) as their counsel, is that the court should, “declare that Senator Sunmonu lacks the requisite capacity to hold the office of a senator, having voluntarily acquired the citizenship of United Kingdom against the letters and spirit of Section 66 subsection 1 (a) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.”
It was gathered that Senator Sunmonu, who joined partisan politics in Nigeria in 2010, had worked as Home Officer (known as immigration officer in Nigeria) with the United Kingdom government for 21years.
Prior to her election as a senator during this year’s general elections, she was the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly between 2011 and 2015.
Section 66 subsection 1 (a) of the constitution states: “No person shall be qualified for election to the Senate or the House of Representatives if: (a)…he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a country other than Nigeria or, except in such cases as may be prescribed by the National Assembly, has made a declaration of allegiance to such a country.”
The claimants also urged the court to declare the seat of Oyo Central senatorial district vacant on the allegation of non-conformity with constitutional requirement, alleging Sunmonu had purportedly sworn to an oath of allegiance to the UK government.
In the suit before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, five voters from the senatorial district alleged that she is a citizen of Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
This was contained in an originating summon, filed on September 14, 2015 in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/760/2015,copies of which were made available to newsmen in Ibadan yesterday.
The claimants in the suit are Wahab Abiodun, Alhaji Bola Akinyemi, Chief Emmanuel Olajide, Chief Samuel Elegbede and Chief Thomas Ajao, while Senator Sunmonu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are listed as first and second defendants respectively.
One of the prayers of the claimants, who have engaged Chief Titus Ashaolu (SAN) as their counsel, is that the court should, “declare that Senator Sunmonu lacks the requisite capacity to hold the office of a senator, having voluntarily acquired the citizenship of United Kingdom against the letters and spirit of Section 66 subsection 1 (a) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.”
It was gathered that Senator Sunmonu, who joined partisan politics in Nigeria in 2010, had worked as Home Officer (known as immigration officer in Nigeria) with the United Kingdom government for 21years.
Prior to her election as a senator during this year’s general elections, she was the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly between 2011 and 2015.
Section 66 subsection 1 (a) of the constitution states: “No person shall be qualified for election to the Senate or the House of Representatives if: (a)…he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a country other than Nigeria or, except in such cases as may be prescribed by the National Assembly, has made a declaration of allegiance to such a country.”
The claimants also urged the court to declare the seat of Oyo Central senatorial district vacant on the allegation of non-conformity with constitutional requirement, alleging Sunmonu had purportedly sworn to an oath of allegiance to the UK government.
They also sought for an order of court compelling INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to him and a perpetual injunction that will restrain her from parading herself as a senator for Oyo Central.
APC senator dragged to court over alleged dual citizenship
![APC senator dragged to court over alleged dual citizenship]()
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Friday, September 25, 2015
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