The National Assembly has been accused of misleading the public by retaining the names of deceased lawmakers on its official directory as active legislators, an investigation by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) has revealed. The directory reportedly still lists Abdulkadir Jelani Danbuya, who represented Isa/Sabon Birni Federal Constituency in Sokoto State and died on October 11, 2023, despite his death being formally announced during plenary by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, the same month.
FIJ also discovered that Olaide Adewale Akinremi, the Ibadan North representative who died suddenly on July 10, 2024, remains listed as a serving lawmaker. Akinremi, popularly known as Jagaban, died at the age of 51, with his death officially announced by the House spokesperson, Akin Rotimi, in July 2024, yet no update has been made to reflect this in the National Assembly’s official records.