₦airaland Forum

Some lawyers in Lagos on Friday faulted the
withdrawal of the security aides of the
Speaker of House of Representatives Aminu
Tambuwal.

The officers were withdrawn on Thursday on
the orders of the Acting Inspector-General of
Police Sulaiman Abba.

The lawyers told NAN that the withdrawal of
the speaker’s security aides following his
recent defection to All Progressives Congress
(APC) posed a danger to Nigeria’s
democracy.

Mr Yinka Farounbi, Chairman, Nigerian Bar
Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch said Abba’s
directive was an abuse of power.
Farounbi said the police authorities
misinterpreted Section 68 (1) (g) of the 1999
Constitution, to back the action.

“There is no crime in defecting to another
party and the IGP is not the person
responsible for interpreting what the
Constitution says on any issue.
“That is the responsibility of the court,” he
added.

Also, Mr Gbenga Ojo, of the Faculty of Law,
Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, said that
the acting IGP had no power to withdraw the
officers.

He said Tambuwal had a moral duty to
vacate the seat following his defection to
APC.

According to him, it is, however, the
responsibility of the court to determine
whether or not he should remain as Speaker
and not the duty of the police.

Another lawyer, Mr Clement Onwuewunor,
said Tambuwal was entitled to protection, as
long as he remains the Speaker of the House
of Representatives.

Onwuewunor said: “The deployment of the
security personnel is not because of a
particular political party but because he is
the Speaker.

“His defection from the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), therefore, has nothing to do
with the office of the Speaker.”

He, therefore, urged the police to maintain
neutrality at all times and uphold their
constitutional duty of protecting the lives of
all Nigerians, irrespective of political
affiliations.

Tambuwal Remains Speaker Of The House
– Ozekhome
Chief Mike Ozekhome, a Constitutional
lawyer and human rights activist in his
reaction said, “Section 68 (1) (g) of the 1999
Constitution as altered, merely prohibits
carpet crossing or defection from the original
sponsoring political party to another. Where
that happens, a member of the Senate or
House of Representatives is to vacate his
seat.

“Though Speaker Aminu Tambuwal has
decamped from PDP to APC, he has not yet
been pronounced as having lost his seat in
the House. For now, it is presumptuous. Even
at that, we should rise above the level of
petty politics and do the right thing by not
desecrating our institutions and the
quintessence of our democratic culture
through actions that call to question the
institutions of the Nigeria Police and the
National Assembly.

“Tambuwal remains the Speaker of the
House, at least till December 3, when the
House resumes Plenary. He has not been
impeached. He remains the Number Four
person in Nigeria. He therefore deserves full
complement of security, not because of his
person as an ordinary Nigerian, but as the
Speaker of the lower House, the 4th person
in order of protocol.

“If the Speaker can show that his defection is
as a result of a division in PDP, or that PDP
has lost its identity because of its merger
with another political party, he will be
excused by the proviso to Section 68 (1) (g)
of the Constitution. For now, the police
should immediately restore his security aides
without much ado.

Also, some Senators Thursday reacted to the
withdrawal of security detail of the Speaker
of the House of Representatives Aminu
Tambuwal over his recent defection to APC,
by the Inspector-General of Police, Abba
Ibrahim.

Most of the PDP Senators who were
contacted refused to talk, saying that it was
a sensitive matter and that their comments
may not go down well with the position of
their party (PDP). But Senators of the
opposition political parties condemned the
act by the IGP, describing it as impunity
taken to the highest order.

Senator Kabiru Marafa, representing Zamfara
State on the platform of APC, said the action
of the IGP was highly unconstitutional even
as he cautioned the PDP-led government to
handle the matter with a lot of caution.

“We are occupying the various offices we are
occupying today, courtesy of the constitution.
Whatever we do should be in conformity with
the Constitution and the rule of law. The
action is wrong and unfortunate because
mere defection does not remove him as
Speaker.”

Senator Babafemi Ojudu, APC, Ekiti Central
in his reaction said, “The withdrawal of
Tambuwal’s security detail is unfair,
uncivilized. How can a government order the
withdrawal of the security personnel
attached to the number four citizen of the
country?

“Why can’t they withdraw the security of
Governor Olusegun Mimiko when he defected
from Labour Party to PDP? If the government
continues like this, they will kill Nigeria’s
democracy. The Federal Government will be
held responsible if anything should happen to
Tambuwal today.

“The IGP is not there to serve the interest of
his party, he is there to protect all Nigerians.

He should therefore in the interest of peace,
restore the security detail of the Number
Four citizen of the country without further
delay.”

Senator Robert Boroffice, APC, Ondo North,
said, “Tambuwal remains the Speaker until he
resigns from office or removed. The
constitution does not say that the Speaker
must emerge from the majority party in the
House. It only provides for the members to
choose the presiding officers from among
themselves.

“Withdrawing Tambuwal’s security detail is an
act of impunity and it is very shameful. He is
the Speaker and the security personnel were
attached to his office.”

Also reacting to the development, Senator
Olufemi Lanlehin, representing Oyo South on
the Accord Party platform insisted that since
Tambuwal still remains the Speaker, his
security detail should be restored.
Senator Lanlehin said, “The Federal
Government should follow the right process.

Tambuwal still reserved his rights to have
access to security until he is formally
removed by two-thirds majority.”
-Vanguard/NAN

barcanista:
The Hon Minister of Police Affairs and the ag-IGP should be invited to explain why the security details of the Speaker was withdrawn. They should go further by instituting an Impeachment move against President Jonathan for gross misconduct, abuse of Office and mismanagement/non-accountability of public fund. That should shake him, just like what Ghali Na'aba led House did to Obasanjo. Enough of Executive Rascality

APContherun:
I need Ozekhome and the other lawyers to carefully interpret section 68(1)g ofthe constitution and how it applies in the case of Tambuwal.

APContherun:
I need Ozekhome and the other lawyers to carefully interpret section 68(1)g ofthe constitution and how it applies in the case of Tambuwal.

APContherun:
I need Ozekhome and the other lawyers to carefully interpret section 68(1)g ofthe constitution and how it applies in the case of Tambuwal.

gmaribel:
The law is quite clear.....its just like when a tenant refuses to pay his rent, the landlord still has to get a court order to evict him.... Anything outside that will be interpreted as taking the Law into ones hands.

APContherun:
I need Ozekhome and the other lawyers to carefully interpret section 68(1)g ofthe constitution and how it applies in the case of Tambuwal.

enugwunno:
don't mind ozekome useless Nigeria lawyers won't he go and beg tompolo or is he not the one tompolo said he will beat to death where ever he is seen and he was crying like a baby.

enugwunno:
don't mind ozekome useless Nigeria lawyers won't he go and beg tompolo or is he not the one tompolo said he will beat to death where ever he is seen and he was crying like a baby.

arewafederation:
This discussion is above your train of thought. I advice you to be on "READ ONLY" myode.

enugwunno:
your name have said it all d only message I have for u is that power have left your region for good the earlier you except that the better you can go on and kill every living thing over there who care after Jonathan its David Mark after Mark its Peter obi bye