A member of the Kwara State House of Assembly representing Edu State Constituency, Hon. Saba Yisa Gideon, has asked the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin to commit the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, the Majority Leader, Hon. Oba Abdulkadir Magaji, and the Kwara State House of Assembly to prison for alleged contempt of court.
The application, filed in Suit No. KWS/11/2026, alleged that the respondents failed to comply with the judgment of the court delivered on February 25, 2026, which nullified the lawmaker’s suspension from the Assembly.
In the motion brought pursuant to Order 46 Rule 2(1) of the Kwara State High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2022, the applicant urged the court to commit the respondents to prison for allegedly disobeying the judgment and the enrolled order served on them in April 2026.
Among the reliefs sought, Gideon prayed the court to restrain the respondents from enforcing his suspension, interfering with his legislative duties, denying him access to the Assembly complex, chambers, office and committee rooms, and withholding his salaries and other entitlements.
He also asked the court to direct the respondents to pay all outstanding salaries and entitlements allegedly withheld during the period he was prevented from performing his legislative responsibilities.
According to the application, the High Court had, in its February 25 judgment, granted eight reliefs in the lawmaker’s favour, including declarations, injunctions and consequential orders relating to what the court held was his unlawful suspension.
The applicant further stated that although the respondents filed an application for stay of execution pending appeal, it was dismissed by the court on April 16, 2026.
He contended that the respondents did not appeal the injunctive orders contained in the judgment and had continued to disobey the court’s orders despite being served with the enrolled order and the requisite notices warning of the consequences of non-compliance.
Gideon also argued that the three-month suspension imposed on him on December 18, 2025, expired on March 17, 2026, adding that there is no subsisting order staying the execution of the February 25 judgment or any pending application for stay before any court.
The motion, dated July 21, 2026, was filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ayinla Salman Jawondo, alongside other counsel.
The matter is expected to come up before the High Court for the respondents to show cause why an order committing them for alleged contempt should not be granted.
The Kwara State House of Assembly, Speaker Danladi-Salihu and Majority Leader Magaji had yet to file their responses to the application as of the time of filing this report.
Leave a Reply