ABUJA, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Speaker Yakubu Dogara has been dragged by two members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus in the House of Representatives to the court over the crisis in the parliament engendered by the struggle for the Principal Officers seats meant for the APC in the House.
Hon Abubakar Lado Abdullahi (APC, Niger) and Hon. Olajide Abdul Jimoh (APC, Lagos), in the suit with file no, FHC/ABJ/CS/625/2015 before the federal high court, Abuja, asked the court to grant an order restraining the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Deputy Speaker, Lasun Yusuf; Clerk of the House, Sani Muhammed Omolori, from preventing the announcement of the list of principal officers forwarded by the APC to the Speaker as representatives of the party on the Body of Principal Officers of the House.
According to a copy of the Originating Summons served on the Defendants last Thursday, July 16, 2015 copies of which was sighted by Daily Independent correspondent, the APC lawmakers asked the court to determine whether Section 14 of the Nigerian constitution(as amended) on federal character applies to the internal workings of the National Assembly and, in particular, the House of Representatives with respect to the appointment of principal officers and, in particular the positions of Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Majority Chief Whip, and Majority Deputy Chief Whip.
The new House of Representatives for over six weeks after it’s inauguration on June 9, 2015 has been preoccupied by internal crisis among APC lawmakers on who should fill the four principal offices due to the APC.
In the fresh court case filed by the APC lawmakers they argued that since “it is an indisputable fact that the positions in question are party positions, that is, principal offices of the APC, albeit that they concomitantly are also principal positions within the House of Representatives.
“Consequently, the 1st and 2nd Defendants (Speaker and Deputy Speaker) shall in accordance with Article 9.2 of APC constitution, which states that “members of the party shall be obligated to affirm the party’s aims and objectives”, implement the party’s aims as contained in the party’s nomination letter”.
The House had gone into a forceful break on June 24, 2015 after lawmakers engaged in a free-for-all on the floor over the refusal of the Speaker to read the party’s nomination letter.
In the nomination letter dated June 23, 2015 the APC had asked the Speaker to announce Femi Gbajabiamila (South West) as the House Leader; Alhassan Ado Doguwa (North West) as Deputy Leader; Mohammed Monguno (North East) as the House Whip; and Pally Iriase (South South) as the Deputy Chief Whip.
But the North-East and South-South later swapped positions in attempt to find a common ground to settling the crisis.
It would be recalled that the Speaker had indicated his interest to announce the APC principal officers when some APC young professionals visited his office on Tuesday, July 14, 2015.
“We will announce the remaining four principal officers by the time we reconvene,” Dogara said.
Credit: Daily Independent (Nigeria)
