It Would Have Been Unfair To Declare Orji Kalu’s Seat Vacant – Lawan

By Lillian Ogbonna (AGENDAWATCHDOG) –  Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has justified the upper legislative chamber’s decsision not to declare Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu’s seat vacant during his court trial, on the grounds that it was the right thing to do, and that it was nothing extraordinary.

Senator Lawan disclosed this while receiving some Igbo leaders of thought from Abia state on Tuesday in buja.

According to Lawan, although the upper legislative chamber was under serious pressure, members held on until Kalu had exhausted all available legal options, pointing out that an acting Chief Whip was not even appointed, as the Deputy Chief Whip continued to act in Kalu’s stead until his release, adding that it would have been “premature, unjust and unfair to declare his seat vacant or his position to be given away because he was in that situation”.

A Lagos Court had sentenced Kalu, the Senate Chief Whip, to 12 years imprisonment in December 2019, but a Supreme Court Judgment overturned the High Court Judgement against the former Abia State Governor.