The APC has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to show better understanding of democracy by immediately restoring the police security details that the inspector-general of police (acting IGP) withdrew from the speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC described the withdrawal of the speaker’s security details as an usurpation of the role of the judiciary by the police boss, especially bearing in mind that the question of the interpretation of Section 68(1)(g) of the constitution he anchored his illegal act on was before the courts for resolution.
The party said that, for the avoidance of doubt, the position, including 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 nation, the security detail and apparatuses attached to the person of the speaker were not based on his lineage, person and or political leaning, but on account of the position and the protection required for that position and in Nigeria’s best interest.
“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 jeopardises 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,” the party said.
The APC, therefore, enjoined President Jonathan to respect and comply 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, Mr 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?”
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