Tambuwal Not Under Pressure To Declare Defected Lawmakers’ Seats Vacant – Reps

SPEAKER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AMINU TAMBUWAL (2ND-L) DEPUTY SPEAKER, EMEKA IHEDIOHA AND REP. LEO OGOR, AFTER THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PLENARY IN ABUJA

The Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Rep. Victor Ogene has said Speaker Aminu Tambuwal was not under any pressure to declare seats of defected members vacant.

Ogene (APGA-Anambra) made the clarification at a news conference after a closed door session of the House in Abuja on Wednesday.
“We would have held the session on Tuesday but we decided to wait until today to allow all parties have copies of the judgment.
“We are not aware of pressure from anywhere to declare anybody’s seat vacant”, he said.
He said that resolutions were also reached at the session on the need to insulate members from partisanship that was gradually becoming a recurring factor whenever members are debating issues.
The lawmaker said the move was necessary because members had earlier agreed to keep political parties aside in the interest of Nigeria.
He also described as mischievous, reports suggesting that Tambuwal and his Deputy, Emeka Ihedioha, appealed against Monday’s ruling by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of an Abuja Federal High Court, which directed the 37 lawmakers to vacate their seats for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party to All Progressives Congress.