Aminu Tambuwal, speaker of the house of representatives, could be arrested over his face-off with the police at the premises of the national assembly on Thursday.
Suleiman Abba, the inspector general of police, has reportedly ordered Tambuwal’s arrest through instructions issued to the police commands in FCT and Sokoto, his home state.
However, Abba has told TheCable this should be treated as “propaganda” in response to a question on the authenticity of the information.
Although he did not make any further comments, he had already told the media on Friday that the fracas would be investigated.
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“Everybody has seen that somebody was even beating somebody, somebody was pushing a policeman from the car. Somebody was removing road blocks mounted by police. We have never seen this kind of thing in the whole world. So we will talk to you later,” he told reporters after a meeting at the presidential villa with Vice-President Namadi Sambo.
Security sources said Sambo Dasuki, the national security adviser – who was absent at the meeting – is also unhappy with the police that Tambuwal and his supporters overpowered their men to gain entrance to the chambers of the national assembly.
Tambuwal had reconvened the house in order to discuss a request sent by President Goodluck Jonathan for the extension of the state of emergency in three north-eastern states over the Boko Haram insurgency.
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Security operatives, who said they were acting on a tip that some hoodlums wanted to invade the national assembly, erected a cordon to prevent Tambuwal and members of the house who are his associates from gaining entrance into the complex.
However, the speaker and other members broke through the barrier and some jumped over the fence, prompting the firing of tear gas by the police.
It is yet unclear if Tambuwal is to be arrested or would be merely invited to give his account of the incident.
Police authorities have said they do not recognise Tambuwal as the speaker because of his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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His security aides were withdrawn by the police and the Department of Sate Service (DSS) after his defection.
Tambuwal picked the APC governorship nomination form in Sokoto on Friday.
13 comments
Court shld be allowed to interprete this issue
Q
What court? The dude is now a member of the minority party in the house whereas the majority party is supposed to produce the speaker. The honourable thing would be to step down so his deputy takes charge until the end of the tenure. He is been dishonourable fighting a cause that would only bring more ridicule than accolade…
Wether Tambuwal can remain the speaker is an issue that should be settled by the court or resolve by the house members….it’s ,in no way, the business of the executive or the police.
Please if you will quench our test for knowledge and feed us on where the constitution says the speaker againmust come from the majority party in the house. This is an issue the constitution is silent upon. It only states that the speaker MUST be selected by house members. Moreover, if your fact is correct, then why can’t the house move a motion to impact him? Please get your facts right
Been wondering Nigeria is turning to.Police should be seen to do their job without element of political bias.It’s the duty of Judiciary to interprete the regarding Tambuwal as speaker not NPF.Did NPF inform the leadership of NASS of their security report or of the measures to screen individuals coming into NAAS premises?There’s enough baggage in the system for NPF to preoccupy itself with & not settling proxy political scores.Nigeria deserves some respite.We have had enough of brigandage from Boko haram.NPF should spare us this drama.
Tambuwal’s purported arrest is an invitation to anarchy. Dear IGP , you have not contained Boko Haram menance and you want to put the country on the path of another war. Please we have had enough bloodshed in this country. Tambuwal has 3 months to go why not allow the sleeping dog lie. You cannot contain what will happen when it starts.
Mr. IGP has turned the force into the institution of the judiciary. he accused, convicted and at same time condemned the speaker; the trial is over. he’d remember, the police is an institution which shld be protected jealously frm the inordinate ambition of an individual. has he forgotten gen. pinochet, fuji mori? these were leaders of their countries but were called to account for their past iniquities. our dev is a process.
I have said it time without number that the activities of the Nigerian Police Force is contradictory to the philosophy of policing all over the world. What we have in NPF is bunch of illiterates.
Hw on earth would police constitute itself as court? Hw on earth would police be an agent of a particular political party? Hw would NPF molest, harase and intimidate Tambuwal Aminu?
Aminu Tambuwal should sue the police and AGF for assult by throwing tear gas on him. Second, he should not honour any invitation from police but should sue the police and AGF for false arrest and imprisonment in case of any arrest on him
Why cant we just say the truth. and let the devil to be on his own. Let every individual get the NIGERIA CONSTITUTIONS. and interpret it by themselves. You need not to go to court to be interpreted for you to understand.. The Speaker was appointed through a majority. If he / she decided to move to another party. He / She need to resign his appointment or vacate the seat of the ******* before deflating to another party…..
Pls… let us be sincere with the rules of Law in this country of ours. Nigeria. so as to lead a good example.
The IGP. knows the law. Can also interpret the constitutions. which is what he basis with always.. pls… let him act with good faith.
Long live Fellow Nigerian. Long live for Better Nigeria. Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Tambuwal has already dishonoured himself for failing to interpret the section of the constitution that barred him from being a member of the house of representatives; talkless of still parading himself as the authentic speaker of the house after he voluntarily joined the opposition party. If people keep saying that the matter should have been interpreted in a competent court of law whether Tambuwal is still a member of the house or it speaker, portray Tambuwal as clueless of Nigerias’ constitution even as a lawmaker, a speaker of the house and the number 4 citizen of the country. On the blockage of the National Assembly by the police based on a tip off that hoodlums were planning to evade the chamber: are we now saying that the police should have written the national assembly members officially before acting on a tip off? Those people that accompanied Tambuwal to invade the national assembly as visitors, was the reconvening of the house to debate on extension of the emergency rules a public hearing? We’re meant to understand that the is a sacred place for the legislative purpose, then why would Tambuwal go there with thugs? To beat who? To intimate who? For what purpose?….Tambuwal took laws into his hands by assaulting the Nigeria police. He should be arrested.
Voiceall: with due respect, I disagree with your submission. The reason those of us who are neutral are crying foul is for posterity sake. Today it is APC. Tomorrow, this same may happen to PDP. Then, will you still support the police’s maltreatment of your party man? We have a constitution, and it can only be interpreted by our judiciary. All of us must join hands to protect this democracy and build this nation.
Nigerians should learn to speak the truth always. AWT remain speaker until 240 members of HOR vote him out.
Tambuwal is leading a jihad against the Federal Republic of Nigeria.