Following a recent ruling by an Ondo State Election Petitions Tribunal, Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, and several other members of the National Assembly risk losing their seats for having dual citizenship.
The tribunal on July 31, 2019, sacked Mr Ikengboju Gboluga, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party representing Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency of Ondo State for having dual citizenship and thereafter ordered that Mr Albert Akintoye of the All Progressives Congress be issued the Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The tribunal headed by Justice Nuhu Adi ruled based on Section 66 of the 1999 Constitution that Gboluga was not eligible to contest the 2019 National Assembly election, having admitted to holding a UK citizenship and sworn allegiance to the county.
However, journalists have gathered from top sources that the figure could be much higher, adding that most of the lawmakers in this category either had the United States or UK citizenship, noting that the lawmakers were not born abroad but became citizens by naturalisation, that is, swearing the oath of allegiance to these countries.
