Affected APC, PDP Reps react – TheNigerialawyer

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH on Friday, the APC candidate for the
Okitipupa/Irele House of Representatives poll, Albert Akintoye,
said INEC had given him the certificate of return.

Akintoye, however, noted that Gboluga had approached the Court
of Appeal in Akure to overule the tribunal.

He stated there was nothing wrong with a Nigerian holding dual
citizenship but argued that the moment a Nigerian swears an oath of
allegiance to another country, he ought not to hold any public
office.

The lawmaker said Section 66 of the constitution had stated
categorically that swearing an oath of allegiance to another
country disqualifies one from holding a legislative office.

He said he was aware that many lawmakers also had dual
citizenship but said not all of them would have sworn an oath of
allegiance

Akintoye said doing so was grounds for disqualification, hence
the decision of INEC to put such questions in its forms.

He said, “There are many people that hold dual citizenship. It
is allowed and if there are many of them in the House, nobody has
put it in writing.

“There is a form that you fill: have you taken an oath of
allegiance in another country? What most people fill is ‘no’ but in
the column, he (Gboluga) put yes.

“They also ask you: what country? He said ‘the United Kingdom’
and the document is with me; I took it to court. If it is in
Nigeria that you hold dual citizenship, good. But let any Nigerian
that wants to contest confess that he has taken an oath of
allegiance in Nigeria; they will disqualify him.”

The lawmaker said he would not be intimidated by the fact that
Gboluga had hired legal juggernauts like a former President of the
Nigerian Bar Association, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) ,and other senior
lawyers.

He said he was hopeful that the Appellate court would not be
intimidated and do the right thing.

When contacted, Gboluga said the matter had already come up for
hearing at the Appellate court and judgement would be delivered
soon.

He, however, refused to comment further, saying, “I don’t know
you personally and I don’t feel comfortable talking to you.”

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