Victor Mela: Wetin make Nigeria Court sentence lawmaker to prison for dual citizenship
Nigeria House of Representative member, Victor Mela, say im no believe say di question of weda or not im dey disqualified from occupying elective office for Nigeria sake of im get dual citizenship no apply to am.
On Friday, November 27, one magistrate court for Nigeria capital Abuja bin send Victor Mela, go prison for one month. On November 10, di Magistrate Court for Wuse Zone 6, bin find oga Mela guilty of lying under oath wen im fill in CF001 INEC form, wey dem submit before di 2019 general elections. However, for interview wey Oga Mela do wit BBC Pidgin, im say: "Wen we bin dey fill di CF001 form e get question wey ask weda you get citizenship of anoda kontri, so wen we bin dey fill di form, we tink say dat question na for non-Nigerians by birth." "I guess most of dis tins dey based on legal interpretation," im tok, "from my own end, say you get dual citizenship no disqualify you from contesting for any elective office from Nigeria." "But if you be Nigerian by registration, you dey disqualified if you get anoda citizenship from anoda kontri, if you be Nigerian by naturalization, you go dey disqualified for having anoda citizenship to contest for election, but if you be Nigeria by birth like me, den dis question no be for me. At di end of di day na so I understand am." Di court discover say Mela wey dey represent Billiri/Balanga federal constituency for Gombe state, na double citizen, im get Canada passport but im lie about am, afta im opponent, Ali Isah, wey im bin defeat for election cari am go different courts including magistrate court on criminal charges. Tori be say oga Mela bin swear affidavit three times to deny im citizenship. But oga Mela say, afta im fill di CF001 form, im go court to swear affidavit say im get Canadian citizenship and dem publish am for one of Nigeria local newspaper. Mela fit no serve time for di prison as di Court also give am option of fine. Di House of Rep member say im dey innocent and e go appeal di court decision. For im tweet post Oga Mela say: "I go maintain my innocence, and as appeal against today decision of di magistrate court, i go like call our friends and supporters and sympathizers to remain calm."