The Kwara State House of Assembly has suspended a member representing Edu State Constituency, Saba Gideon, for three months over alleged contempt of the House and breach of legislative privilege.
The decision was taken during plenary on Thursday following revelations that the lawmaker secretly recorded a closed-door meeting of the Assembly and shared the audio recording with an unauthorised person.
Lawmakers said Gideon admitted to the act when the matter was raised on the floor of the House.
The motion for his suspension was moved without notice by the Leader of the House, Abdulkadir Magaji, who cited Order 4, Rule 14 of the House Rules on Privileges and Section 14(2) of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017.
Magaji told the House that the action of the lawmaker had the potential to put the Assembly in jeopardy by exposing sensitive information about its proceedings to the public.
Several members, including Ganiyu Salaudeen (Omupo), Musa Kareem (Patigi), Owolabi Rasaq (Shaare/Oke-Ode), Abdullahi Danbaba (Kaiama/Kemanji/Wajibe) and Oniboki Yunusa (Afon), contributed to the debate and supported the motion.
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Announcing the resolution, the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, said the unauthorised recording and circulation of the meeting was capable of bringing the legislative institution into disrepute.
He said the conduct of the lawmaker amounted to contempt of the House and a breach of legislative privilege.
The Assembly further directed Gideon to submit a written apology to the House within the three-month suspension period.
The suspension takes immediate effect.