Dogara fails to swear in APC member Hon Dorathy Mato, House reacts to allegations.

Dorathy Mato, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, whom the Supreme Court declared as the representative of Vandikwa/Konshisha Federal constituency of Benue state, was unable to contain her disappointment on Thursday after the Speaker of the House of Representative, Yakubu Dogara, failed to swear her in.

Mato came to the lower legislative chamber, on Thursday, with the expectation that she would be sworn in but the speaker did not administer the oath of office on her which made her shed tears and could not entertain questions from journalists.

Maureen Acka, a front line female politician from Benue State, who accompanied her, spoke on her behalf alleging that Mato was a victim of manipulation by Hembe, wondering why she was not sworn in after fulfilling all the requirements.

Acka declared that it would be bad if the case turned out being a case of gender discrimination as she appealed to Dogara and the leadership of the House to do the right thing.
“We all came in anticipation of this but they kept dilly-dallying,” she said.
“They asked to wait that they were coming and we all waited patiently, only for them to come out and nothing happened. Papers have been filled, and she has done all the things required of her.

“This is really strange. I just pray and hope that this is not some kind of game because it will not be right. We know the law.
However, Spokesman of the House, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, told journalists that if Mato had met the requirements, she would have been sworn in as he ruled out the possibility of gender discrimination.

“It’s not true that the speaker has refused to swear her in because she is a woman,” he said.
“A colleague of mine from Adamawa state lost his seat after a court of appeal ruling. He was replaced by a woman named Talatu, she was sworn in immediately.

“So, you can see it is not an issue of gender bias. I know, as a matter of fact, that if there is any pronouncement by the court, there are also some processes you have to undergo in the house before you are sworn in.

“I’m not aware that that has been done. I have to look at it well. If all the necessary things have been done, I don’t think there is any reason that she will not be sworn in.”

Recall that the Supreme Court, on June 23, declared that Herman Hembe, former Chairman of the House Committee on the Federal Capital Terittory (FCT), did not win the ruling party’s ticket to represent the constituency ruling that Mato was the valid candidate.
The court also ordered Hembe to refund all the salaries and allowances he had earned in two years.





Source The Will