The Kwara State House of Assembly has suspended a lawmaker, Saba Gideon, for three months for secretly recording a closed-door session of the House and sharing the audio with an unauthorised person.
Gideon represents Edu State Constituency in the Assembly.
The decision was taken on Thursday during plenary after lawmakers confirmed that Gideon admitted to the act when the issue was raised on the floor.
The motion for his suspension was moved without prior notice by the Leader of the House, Abdulkadir Magaji, who cited relevant provisions of the House Rules and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017.
“I want to call the attention of this honourable House to an urgent matter in line with Order 4, Rule 14 of this honourable House on rules and privileges,” Magaji said.
He added, “Hon. Saba did something that can put this honourable House in jeopardy by sending sensitive information about its activities to the public.”
Several lawmakers spoke in support of the motion, including Ganiyu Salaudeen, Musa Kareem, Owolabi Rasaq, Abdullahi Danbaba and Oniboki Yunusa, all of whom condemned the action and described it as a serious breach of trust.
Reading the resolution of the House, the Speaker, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, said the act was capable of damaging the image of the legislature.
“Hon. Gideon’s conduct amounted to contempt and a breach of privilege,” the Speaker said.
The Assembly also directed the suspended lawmaker to write a formal letter of apology to the House within the three-month suspension period.
The suspension takes immediate effect.
