PDP plans to reconvene house behind Tambuwal, says APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately restore the police security details Suleiman Abba, the inspector-general of police, withdrew from the speaker of the house of representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, on Thursday.

It alleged that the   Jonathan and his close advisers had resolved at a meeting on Wednesday night to ask the deputy speaker Emeka Ihedioha to unlawfully reconvene the house before the adjourned date.

Tambuwal had adjourned till December 3, 2014 immediately after announcing his defection on Tuesday.

But citing section 68 (1) (g) of the constitution, Abba ordered the withdrawal of police security attached to Tambuwal for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC on Tuesday.

Reacting to the development, the party through its spokesman, Lai Mohammed, described the announcement of the withdrawal of the speaker’s security details by Abba as a usurpation of the role of the judiciary.

It argued that the question of the interpretation of section 68(1)(g) of the constitution to which Abba anchored his action was currently before the courts for resolution.

According to the APC, “the manner a person becomes the speaker of the house of representatives is to be found in the constitution, and no constitutional provision or legislation says membership of the ruling or dominant party in the house is a pre-requisite.”

“Furthermore as the number four citizen of the federal republic of Nigeria the security detail and apparatus attached to the person of the speaker is not based on his lineage, person and or political leaning. It is on account of the position and the protection required for that position and in Nigeria’s best interest,” the party argued.

“This unfortunate use and deployment of Nigeria’s security forces in a partisan and political way portends danger and further weakens important institutions of governance and jeopardizes national security. Under President Jonathan, we now have a Police Force that is monitoring and making conclusions with respect to party membership, qualification, of an otherwise elected official. This is unheard of in any decent democracy.”

It alleged that  Jonathan who had been a beneficiary of democracy and the constitution was now demonstrating disregard for the laws that guide the state.

“President Jonathan who is the only individual who benefited from the same constitution to become a governor from a deputy governor without an election and from a vice president to president in similar legal circumstances now desecrates the same constitution,” the APC stated.

“The All Progressives Congress rejects this challenge to democracy and modern society. We reject President Jonathan’s illegality and call for respect and compliance with the law. We reject this meddling in the affairs of the legislature especially given the resolution of President Jonathan and his close advisers yesterday at their meeting to ask the deputy speaker Emeka Ihedioha to unlawfully reconvene the house before the adjourned date.

“May we remind President Goodluck Jonathan that under the house rules only a resolution by all principal officers of the house and not even the speaker of the house can reconvene the house before the adjourned date not to talk of the deputy speaker.

“Regrettably the priority of President Goodluck Jonathan on the night that Mubi a town with a population of about two million people in Adamawa state fell to the Boko Haram insurgents was how to illegally remove the Aminu Tambuwal as the speaker of the house of representatives.”