*** No place for Interim Government –Mark
With a clear majority in the House of Representatives, the All Progressives Congress, APC, is gunning to oust the Majority Leader of the House, Mrs. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, her Deputy, Leo Ogor, the Chief Whip, Ishaku Bawa, and other principal officers, elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
At yesterday’s plenary, the House Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Suleiman Kawu Sumaila (APC/Kano) raised a point of order, reminding his colleagues of the new majority status of the APC following mass defections from the PDP.
He said based on this, APC should decide who occupies the positions of House Leader and Deputy House Leader as well as Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip in accordance to its Rules.
“Now that the APC has emerged as majority in the House of Representatives, there has to be a change in the leadership structure. A majority party cannot maintain minority status and vice versa. This is provided for in our rule book,” he said.
The Speaker, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, however, cautioned against any move to change the House leadership, reminding lawmakers of a court action on the issue of defection.
“Your point of order is noted. This matter (defections) is before the court and we must tread cautiously on this subject matter,” Tambuwal warned.
Following six defections (all from PDP) yesterday, the new distribution of members shows APC with 181, PDP, 156 and other parties, 23.
The House has 360 members.
The members that defected yesterday were Tobias Okwuru, (Ebonyi); PDP to Labour Party, LP, Peter Ali, (Ebonyi); PDP to LP, Chinenye Ike, (Abia); PDP to All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Micah Umoh, (Akwa/Ibom) PDP to Accord Party; Robinson Uwak, (Akwa/Ibom), PDP to APC and Ibrahim Garba, (Jigawa), PDP to APC.
In January, APC emerged as the political party with majority members in the House, a first by an opposition party since 1999. The PDP has dominated the House since the country’s return to democracy.
Meanwhile, Tambuwal yesterday urged Nigerians to keep watch and resist efforts by individuals and groups working against democracy in the countr.
Tambuwal gave the warning in his address, while welcoming members back from the general election recess.
He also stated that the postponement of the election by INEC has caused credibility problems for the electoral umpire.
The speaker explained that since 1999, Nigerians have become accustomed to democracy by electing leaders, and must resist other means of leadership recruitment.
“Nigerians have shown and continue to show overwhelming preference for this democratic process and thus all retrogressive forces that seek to truncate democracy should be stoutly resisted by the people to whom power belongs.
“Nigeria belongs to all and not to politicians or other persons of unbridled ambition. Any ambition that fails to recognise and respect overriding national interest must halt or be halted,” he said.
According to Tambuwal, the “abrupt postponement” of the general elections by INEC was ill timed adding that “this singular act has inflicted an indelible dent on the integrity of the 2015 elections and indeed the country’s entire electoral process.”
He urged the government to make genuine efforts to restore public confidence in the process and in its commitment to free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections.
Tambuwal condemned inflammatory utterances by some Nigerians which according to him are “inimical to our unity, peace and public order.
“It gives cause for serious concern and I am persuaded that the nonchalance or at best reluctance of the security agencies in resorting to the laws of the land in arresting the trend constitute a direct affront on the revered doctrine of the rule of law,” he added.
On the activities of the House, the Speaker disclosed that the first crucial task before the lawmakers was the 2015 budget proposal assuring that the document would be accorded expeditious passage in spite of its belated submission.
Tambuwal expressed the hope that apart from the budget, the House would pass the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, the Constitutional Amendment Bill and other critical bills that are already at Report stage before the end of its tenure.
He also assured that the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which has already been passed by the two Chambers would be giving utmost attention as the amendments contained therein provide the clear legal framework for participation in the electoral process by Internally Displaced Persons, IDP’s, whose numbers are, no doubt, substantial.
The Speaker also commended the armed forces and other security agencies involved in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency in the north eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
“Our armed forces have over the years proven their gallantly in both national as well as international assignments and we are confident that the present challenge will not be an exception,” he stated.
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