The House of Representatives yesterday reacted to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s, position that the Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, should resign following his defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The House said that there were no bases for that since Tambuwal was elected as Speaker by his colleagues.

It explained that the Speakership of the House, or any other national elective position, belongs to Nigerians and not the political platforms upon which such leaders emerge.

A statement by the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs Matters, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, stated that nobody could regulate the operation and procedure of the House from outside.

He expressed concern that less than 24 hours after Tambuwal’s defection, individuals, party chieftains and groups had gone on frenzy, dishing out varied interpretations to the decision.

He said: “Many of these commentators, rather than correctly stating what the true position of the law and the House rules are, take delight in advertising ignorance of both with some even advocating a recourse to anarchy as a way of achieving what they imagine ought to be the ‘solution’ to the issue.

“Following several inquiries by journalists and some members of the public, it is easy to narrow the concerns to two key issues. One, whether Speaker Tambuwal ought to vacate his seat as representative of Kebbe/ Tambuwal Federal Constituency, Sokoto State, by virtue of Section 68 (1) (g), of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended; and two, if he shouldn’t step down as Speaker, having defected from the majority party in the House to a minority platform.”

The lawmaker also explained that on the first issue, it was common knowledge that following the defection of 37 members of the House in December 2013 from the PDP to APC, there had been multiple court cases on the matter, rendering it subjudice to discuss any likely outcome.

He, however, advised Nigerians to await final judicial pronouncement on the issue of defection, which had afflicted virtually all political parties.

Citing the case of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who as a sitting Vice- President moved to another political party, Ogene stated the vicepresident did not get judicial reprobation for the act.

He added that the clear provisions of Section 50(1) (b) of the Nigerian Constitution easily settle the worries regarding the continued Speakership of Tambuwal.

Quoting the law, he said: “There shall be a Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.

“It would, therefore, amount to an affront on members’ privilege to question their constitutionallyguaranteed right to freely elect their leader.

“Additionally, Order 1 Rule 1 (2) of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives states: “In all cases not provided for hereinafter, or by sectional or other orders, precedents or practices of the House, the House shall by resolution regulate its procedure.

“It is in the light of the foregoing that the House wishes to appeal to those who seek to “regulate its procedure” from outside its hallowed chambers to have a rethink, as the nation’s Constitution, the Standing Orders of the House and precedent – as in the Speakership of the late Hon. Edwin Ume-Ezeoke in the Second Republic on a minority platform – have all provided answers to what would have otherwise been a knotty political issue.”

http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/tambuwal-remains-speaker-house-tells-pdp-others/