…*Sacked lawmakers insist on continuing…
It was another free-for-all in the House of Representatives on Wednesday when eight former members of the Green Chambers from Katsina State stormed the plenary session to be sworn in after obtaining judgement from an Appeal Court in Abuja against their opponents in the 2011 House of Reps pre-election case.
It would be recalled that the Court of Appeal in Abuja had on October 1, 2013, sacked two Senators and eight members of the House from Katsina state, who got their mandate after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declared that those who were initially sworn in were not the rightful winners of the seats.
One of the eight lawmakers had entered into the chambers of the House at about 11:am, waiting desperately to be sworn in by the presiding officer after being in legal battle with their opponents since 2011.
However, fight broke out when some of the legislators sacked by the Appeal Court on Friday walked in and noticed the presence of the ex-lawmaker in the chamber and told him to leave.
But the ex-lawmaker refused to go, thereby resulting in another lawmaker trying to physically compel him to leave. The cloth of the ex-lawmaker was torn in the scuffle.
Angered by the purported assault, the embattled politician pulled his gown in readiness to fight back, saying that he was ready for whatever that might result from the disagreement.
When the situation was getting out of hands, it took the intervention of some lawmakers belonging to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the chamber to separate the warring parties.
Following the ugly development, the APC leaders were immediately called upon to resolve the matter.
Minority leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, his deputy, Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila and deputy minority whip Garba Datti were among those that prevailed on the ex-lawmaker to get out of the chamber for a dialogue.
The APC leaders then took the ex-lawmaker along with some of his colleagues to a room for a meeting. But midway into the meeting, the ex-lawmakers staged a walk out.
Speaking to journalists after the walk out, one of the affected ex-lawmakers from Funtua Muntari Dandutse accused the leadership of the House of not respecting the laws that they enacted.
“What is happening in this House is very unfortunate. The issue of Katsina 10 is very clear, which is being denied. The law has no barrier. After winning in the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal which faulted National Assembly and INEC for withdrawing our certificates.
“The appeal court has affirmed that judgement. The court said very clearly that we should repossess our seats, without any hindrance. INEC has no power to issue certificate of return without contesting an election,” he said.
Another ex-lawmaker Tasi’u Doguro (Mashi/Dutsi) said: “This is the 13th time we are winning court cases against our opponents. We made sure that National Assembly and INEC were served copies of the judgement by Monday.
He further stated “We came yesterday (Tuesday) they said we should come today (Wednesday) to take our seats. But when we came today, we were told another thing that unless we go to Supreme Court, they will not swear us, which means they don’t respect the judgements of Federal High court and Court of Appeal.
“There is a lot of political blackmail. Actually, what is happening now in National Assembly, this issue of favouratism is very dangerous? We don’t belong to Masari camp. Masari was a Speaker here. So they are doing him a favour. But that is very unfortunate,” he said.
But minority leader, Gbajabiamila told journalists after the meeting which lasted for about 30 minutes that the House would not act until it sees the outcome of the appeal by the current lawmakers in the Supreme Court.
He said: “The House will follow procedures, tradition and the law. That is the position of the House. He however, acknowledged that the law supersedes.”