By Ali Abare Abubakar
A bid by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to secretly remove the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, might have suffered a setback as the trial judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, ordered the party to put the Speaker on notice, following an ex parte application by the ruling party.
The PDP cited Tambuwal’s defection as reason for the Speaker to vacate his seat for which the court however turned down the party’s request.
Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), counsel to the PDP, who argued the application, said Tambuwal had lost his seat by reason of his defection, according to the provisions of Section 68 of the 1999 constitution.
The party joined the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, as respondents in the motion, urging the court to order Tambuwal to give effect to the provisions of section 68(1)(g) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to declare his seat at the House of Representatives vacant.
PDP also prayed the court for an alternative order directing the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives to declare the Kebbe/Tambuwal seat vacant by an order of mandamus, while in the ex parte motion also, the party asked the court to stop Tambuwal from performing or continuing to perform the function of the Speaker in the House of Representatives, or sitting or continuing to sit in the House as a member.
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