Convicted Chief whip of the senate, Orji Uzor Kalu will not be losing his seat in the legislative upper chamber, the Senate has said.
This was made known by the Senate spokesperson, Godiya Akwashiki.
According to him, such move would be against the law.
The lawmaker said no provision in the Nigerian Constitution says the seat of a senator facing prosecution or convicted at a lower court should be declared vacant.
Mr Akwashiki stated that Mr Kalu’s seat will not be declared vacant until he (Mr Kalu) has explored all the legal options available to him without success.
The Senate has no reason to declare his seat vacant and Mr Kalu still has the opportunity to appeal the case, he said.
“Even the tenure of a former governor Joshua Dariye, who has been in prison for some time now, ran its course until the end of the 8th National Assembly. Nobody declared his seat vacant.
“The Senate President cannot declare the seat of Kalu vacant. It is against the law. Tell those who are canvassing such things that there is nothing like that, it is a non-issue,”
When asked if the convicted chief whip will continue to receive salaries while in prison, Mr Akwashiki said the National Assembly bureaucracy determines the payment of senators based on the template from the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC).
