The speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and his new party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday dragged the federal government and six others before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, over the attempt to declare his seat vacant and the withdrawal of his security aides.
In a separate suit filed by the speaker through his lawyer, Dr Tunji Abayomi, he asked the court for a temporary order compelling the inspector-general of police to restore his security detail, pending the hearing and determination of the case.
Tambuwal, in the other suit filed at the registry of the court through Jubrin Okutepa (SAN), wants the court to declare that the attempt to declare his seat as a member and honourable speaker of the House of Representatives vacant, is unlawful and unconstitutional.
Cited as defendants in the suit are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), its national chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, inspector-general of police, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the attorney-general of the federation (AGF).
He further wants the court to declare that he remains a member and the speaker of the House of Representatives until the expiration of his current term of office on the June 5 2015.
Tambuwal also wants the court to declare that the withdrawal of his security detail when he has not been removed from office as speaker and member of the House of Representatives is illegal and unconstitutional.
He however prayed for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from taking any steps to interfere with or infringe on his rights and privileges as the speaker of the House of Representatives and as a member of the House before the expiration of his term.
He also wants the court to give an order of perpetual injunction restraining INEC from accepting any nomination of candidates or organising a by-election for the purpose of replacing him.
Also, Tambuwal wants an order of mandatory injunction compelling the IGP and the AGF to restore his security detail and all other rights, benefits and privileges appurtenant to members of the House and the office of the honourable speaker.
In a 4- paragraph affidavit deposed to by Tambuwal himself, he averred that “On the 28th day of October 2014, the PDP and its national chairman threatened to forcibly remove me from office as the speaker of the House of Representatives adding that the threat was made public as reported by some national dailies of October 29”.
He further averred that the “House of Representatives and the deputy speaker on October 30 began to strategise on how to unlawfully remove me from office as speaker of the House of Representatives.
“That I know that on the 30th day of October, 2014, the IG, at the behest of defendants withdrew my security detail thereby exposing me to danger of bodily harm all in their bid to forcibly remove from office,” Tambuwal stated.
The plaintiff also averred that he had become apprehensive that the defendants would use unlawful means to make good their threats if the court did not intervene to stop them.
In a separate suit filed by Dr Tunji Abayomi on behalf of Tambuwal, Abayomi prayed for a temporary order of court directing the return of the security aides of the speaker, pending the determination of the suit.
Abayomi also prayed the court for an order restraining the defendants from interfering with the rights and privileges attached to the office of the speaker, pending the determination of the suit.
The two cases are yet to be assigned to a judge.
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