There was anxiety Tuesday night among members of Nigeria’s House of
Representatives as the lawmakers are set to reconvene on Wednesday to
consider a request by President Goodluck Jonathan to extend emergency
rule in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States, states mostly affected by the
deadly Boko Haram insurgency.
“On
Tuesday, 18th November 2014, I received a communication from the
President, Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan GCFR, requesting for the extension of the existing State of
Emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States by the House of
Representatives,” Tambuwal said in a statement while announcing the
reconvening of the House.
“Pursuant to the powers conferred on me
by Section 305 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria 1999, which requires me to “forthwith convene or arrange a
meeting of the House” and in order to treat the extension before the
expiration of the current State of Emergency in accordance with Section
305 (6) (c) of the Constitution, I hereby reconvene the House of
Representatives…,” he added.
The Senate had received the same
letter asking for extension of the state of emergency from the
presidency. The letter was read to Senators by Senate President David
Mark on Tuesday. It was gathered that Senators could not reach a
consensus on whether to extend the state of emergency for the fourth
time or not.
The House had adjourned on 28 October immediately
after Honourable Aminu Tambuwal, the Speaker announced his defection to
the opposition All Progressives Congress from the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party.
The House was scheduled to resume on 3 December
and it was believed that the long adjournment was to avoid potential
backlash over the defection from majority PDP members of the House.
Members
of PDP led by President Goodluck Jonathan and Adamu Mu’azu, the
chairman of the party had met with PDP caucus of the House after the
defection on the possibility of removing Tambuwal from office as a
punishment for the defection.
The Speaker whose security details
have been withdrawn by the Police Chief following the defection has
filed a suit to stop his removal by the PDP caucus of the House led by
Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha.
Still members of the House are
anxious over speculations that the Presidency which is still smarting
from the defection of the Speaker may employ extra constitutional means
to stop Tambuwal from presiding when the House reconvenes on Wednesday.
President
Jonathan met with the the Senate President and the Deputy Speaker
behind closed doors at the Aso Rock presidential villa on Tuesday.
Though
both men refused to speak to the press after the meeting, it was
believed that the issue of the state of emergency as well as the
defection of the Speaker were the main topics of the meeting.
In
another development, Tambuwal has announced his abandonment of a bid to
contest for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress. He
will now face his original plan to run for the governorship seat in
Sokoto state, his home state.
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