Hon. Aliyu Madaki, spokesman of the eleven members of the House of Representatives that dragged the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara to court over the new House rules, has explained that it was done to protect the democratic tenets of the Green Chamber.

Madaki APC Kano State, in a chat with The Nation Wednesday said his grouse and that of ten other members that instituted the case was because “some undemocratic things have been put into the new rules”

This, he said was what informed their dragging the Speaker and Clerk of the House, Sani Omolori before an Abuja High Court.

On October 8, 2015, the House adopted the report of its ad-hoc committee to review the House Standing Orders, 2011.

The new rules gives the speaker sweeping powers to suspend any member that approaches the mace with whatever intent.



The new Standing Order also empowers the speaker to suspend a member for 30 plenary days for failing to obey the presiding officer’s directive.

Madaki said this kind of power is unacceptable in a democratic setting.

He said:  “There is no organization, society or government body that will work without rules and regulations guiding it, most especially for the smooth running of any organization.

“In the House, we have our rules book. What we are contesting in court is that the rules were changed and it is our believe that the way and manner the rules were changed, the procedures of changing the rules were not followed.

“Not only that, it is also our contention that some undemocratic things have been put into the new rules. And if you recall, on the 8th of October when these rules were changed, I came through Point of Order, eight times, not once or twice, but eight times. I tried to draw the attention of the House that these rules we are trying to pass are not only undemocratic, they are also unconstitutional.

“This is because I believe that the constitution of Nigeria in Sections 36 and 39 give me freedom of expression, freedom of thought, freedom of religion and freedom of association, and it is my firm belief that with these new rules that the House has adopted, those constitutional rights and rights given me by the people of Dala Federal Constituency will be infringed upon.

Recall that  eleven members have dragged both the Speaker Yakubu Dogara, and Sani Omolori, Clerk of the House before an Abuja High Court in protest against the over the new standing order

Apart from Madaki, other Rep members lawmakers in the suit are: Aminu Ibrahim Malle (APC, Taraba); Sunday Adepoju (APC, Oyo); Ahmed Babba Kaita (APC, Katsina); Philip Shuaibu (APC, Edo); Abubakar Chika Adamu (APC, Niger), Mohammed Musa Soba (APC, Kaduna); Yusuf Bala Ikara (APC, Kaduna); Abubakar Lado Suleja (APC, Niger) and Lawal Yahaya Gumau (APC, Bauchi); Rotimi Agunsoye (APC, Lagos);

Their lawyer Ahmed Bello Mahmud In the summons dated December 14, 2015, urged the court to declare the new Standing Orders null and void as it contravenes the provisions of the constitution.