By Luka Binniyat
ABUJA—After an Abuja High Court last Thursday declared the suspension of Dino Melaye (PDP/Kogi) and four other members of the House of Representative illegal,

Melaye  stormed the National Assembly to occupy his office which had been allocated to Buba Jibril (PDP/Kogi)

Dino served Jibril the judgment and warned that he would be occupying his office today for the day’s plenary.

But, the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Eseme Eyiboh, told Vanguard that his return could not be automatic, since the House had appealed to challenge the judgement.

“There is a stay on execution, and we are sure that the course of justice would be respected,” he said.

It would be recalled that Dino and 10 others were on June 22, 2010, banned from the House of Representatives for the rest of the legislative year, after his group, Progressive-Minded Legislatures, PML, were engaged in fisticuffs with supporters of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole.

The PML had accused the speaker of mismanaging N9 billion of the House Finances in 2009.

But the High Court presided over by Justice A Bello ruled that the suspension was “illegal, null and void”.

Counsel to the House, Chief Wole Olanikpekun, had immediately appealed against the ruling, even before the House was served with a copy of the ruling.

Two of the suspended members, Mr Ehioge West Idahosa and Gbenga Onigbogi, were pardoned by the House last month, after they showed “commensurate remorsefulness” over their actions.

But on Monday, Dino personally dropped the copy of the ruling at his office  which had been allocated to Mr Buba Jibril from Kogi State.

“I am just here to occupy my office. I came to serve them the court judgment so that they vacate my office for my use tomorrow morning,” Dino told newsmen.

“I have nothing more to say,” he concluded and walked away without a word.
When contacted, the Sergeant-at-Arms said he was not aware of the visit by Mr Dino and his threat to take over the office that had been reallocated to another member.

Jibril was not in the office, but one of his staff who does not want to be mentioned, collected the judgement.

“My boss did not allocate this office to himself.  It is the National Assembly that allocated the office to him.

“That means that we have no direct dealing with Dino. He should go to the management to sort out himself,” he said.

Others whose suspension was nullified are: Independence Ogunewe, Solomon Awhinawhi, Bitrus Kaze and Abba Anas Adamu