The Senate has not yet declared Joshua Dariye’s seat vacant 37 days after the senator was sentenced to 14 years in jail for his corrupt activities when he served as Governor of Plateau State.
The Senate has not yet declared Joshua Dariye’s seat vacant 37 days after the senator was sentenced to 14 years in jail for his corrupt activities when he served as Governor of Plateau State.
Speaking about the retaining of Dariye’s seat, Itse Sagay (SAN), Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, said the embattled senator’s salary ought to have stopped since his conviction.
“I don’t think he should be receiving salaries because this would be a major infraction of our laws,” Sagay said. “Someone who is in prison for fraud which, is one of the reasons for disqualifying anyone from contesting, should not be receiving salary unless someone is extremely reckless in the National Assembly.”
Justice Adebukola Banjoko, sitting at a High Court of Federal Capital Territory on June 12, convicted and sentenced the former Governor to 14 years imprisonment for diverting public funds to the tune of N1.126billion.
The Senate, however, declared vacant the seats of Mustapha Bukar of Katsina North senatorial district and Ali Wakili of Bauchi South senatorial district, who died on died on April 4, 2018 and March 17, 2018 respectively.
Similarly, the House of Representatives also declared the seat of the late Umar Jibril of Lokoja/Kogi federal constituency vacant.