Benue’s replaced rep member sulks over swearing-in process

Replaced member of the House of Reps from Benue State, Dorathy Mato, reportedly broke down in tears on Thursday, July 5, 2017 when it became obvious she wont be sworn in as expected.

In a report by TheCable, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, whom the supreme court declared as the representative of Vandikwa/Konshisha federal constituency, shed tears after the speaker, Yakubu Dogara, allegedly refused to swear her in.

Mato, it was further reported, had arrived the legislative chamber with high expectations of taking the oath of office but her hopes were dashed as the speaker did not fulfill her expectations.

However, a political associate of Mato, who identified herself as Maureen Acka, a lawmaker from the Benue State Assembly, said the hopeful Mato was a victim of alleged manipulation by Hembe.

Acka, who wondered why Mato was not sworn in after allegedly fulfilling all the requirements, said: “We all came in anticipation of this but they kept dilly-dallying."

ALSO READ: Supreme Court sacks Benue lawmaker

Continuing, 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 a game because it will not be right. We know the law. I’m a member of the APC. I was in ACN before… she (Mato) is a honourable person.”

On June 23, the apex court held that Herman Hembe, former chairman of the house committee on the federal capital territory (FCT), representing the Benue constituency did not win the APC’s ticket to represent the constituency.

The court also ordered Hembe to refund all the salaries and allowances he had earned in two years.