A Magistrate Court in Wuse, Zone 6, has sentenced a member of the House of Representatives, Victor Mela, to a month imprisonment.
The lawmaker who represents Billiri/Balanga federal constituency in Gombe, was, however, given an option of fine.
The court found the lawmaker guilty of lying under oath while filling the CD001 INEC form prior to the 2019 elections.
The magistrate had, however, set a different date for sentencing of the lawmaker after his lawyer pleaded for leniency.
The court took the decision after finding Mela culpable of swearing to an affidavit thrice, denying citizenship of another country whereas he has a Canadian passport.
His conviction follows his prosecution by the police in Abuja.
The lawmaker had after the November 10 judgment by the magistrate said he would appeal the decision.
He tweeted, “I would like to call on our friends, supporters and our sympathisers to remain calm as well as rest assured that I will challenge today’s perverse decision at the appellate court, immediately·”
It is unclear if the lawmaker has appealed the judgment.
Mela, who is 47 years old, earned a degree in geology from the University of Jos in 1999 and a master’s in sedimentology and petroleum geology from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in 2006.
He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2019 and is vice-chairman of the solid minerals committee.
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