Abba avoids addressing Tambuwal as ‘speaker’

‎Suleiman Abba, the inspector general of police (IGP), on Wednesday refused to recognise Aminu Tambuwal as speaker of the house of representatives.

Abba, who appeared before the house committee on police affairs, engaged the committee members in a heated exchange over the status of Tambuwal in the lower chamber.

He had refused to appear before the senate on Tuesday, instead sending a representative, a deputy inspector-general of police, who was sent out of the senate’s executive session‎.

‎An argument ensued at the house committee hearing, when Usman Bello Kurmo, chairman of the committee, asked the IGP: “Is Aminu Tambuwal the speaker of the house of representatives or not?”

Abba replied: “Chairman you know that matters before the court are sub judice. Commenting on them is sub judice until they are disposed of.”

The session ended as a heated argument started.

The IGP was invited to the house committee on police affairs hearing to explain the police invasion of the National Assembly on November 20.

He had ordered the withdrawal of police details attached to Tambuwal on the grounds that he was no longer the speaker of the house, owing to his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in October.