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Tag: plenary

  • Sen. Omo-Agege absent from plenary

    Embattled Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who vowed to attend Tuesday’s plenary of the senate in compliance with a court decision failed to turn up.

    The Senate on April 2, suspended Omo-Agege (Delta-APC) over a “dissenting comment’’ on decision of the Upper Chamber on adoption of conference report on INEC Commission Act (2010) Amendment Bill.

    Omo-Agege, however went to court to challenge his suspension and the court in its ruling, declared the action unconstitutional, saying that the Senate could not suspend a member beyond 14 days.

    The Senate appealed the ruling but said in statement that while it was waiting for a stay of execution, it would not stop the lawmaker from resuming plenary.

    Omo-Agege’s suspension, which was expected to last for 90 legislative days, followed a report of the Senate Committee on Ethics Privileges and Public Petitions.

    Chairman of the committee, Sen. Sam Anyanwu, had said the committee’s probe followed a Point-of-Order raised by Sen. Dino Melaye (Kogi-APC) on the matter.

    According to Anyanwu, Melaye drew Senate’s attention to a media briefing by Omo Agege, faulting senate’s adoption of the conference’s report on Feb.14.

    He said that Melaye further intimated the senate that the media briefing by Omo Agege indicated that the resolution of the senate was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari.

    His suspension was based on his comment that amendment to section 25 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), bordering on reordering of elections sequence was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of Federal High Court on May 10, held that while the National Assembly had the power to discipline its erring members, the premise on which Omo-Agege’s suspension was anchored was illegal.

    Although the court refused to grant any of the seven prayers sought by the senator, ‎it held that the suspension could not hold on grounds of the “violence” it did to the Constitution.

    Read Also: Senate: We won’t stop Omo-Agege from resuming

    The judge noted that from the wording of the report of the Senate’s Ethics and Privileges Committee which recommended Omo-Agege’s suspension, he was punished for filing a suit against the Senate after apologising to the legislative house over the allegation leveled against him.

    “Access to court is a fundamental right in the Constitution, which cannot be taken away by force or intimidation from any organ,” the judge ruled.

    The judge also added that the Senate’s decision to punish Omo-Agege for filing a suit against the Senate and for punishing him while his suit was pending constituted an affront on the judiciary.

    He added that even if the Senate had rightly suspended the senator, it could only have suspended him for only a period of 14 days — as prescribed in the Senate rules.

    He also ruled that the principle of natural justice was breached by the Senate’s Ethics and Privileges Committee by allowing Senator Dino Melaye, who was the complainant, to participate in the committee’s sitting that considered the issue and also allowed him to sign the committee’s report.

    The judge therefore nullified Omo-Agege’s suspension “with immediate effect.”

    He also ordered that the senator be paid all his allowances and salaries for the period he was illegally suspended. (NAN)

  • Thugs take away Senate mace during plenary

    It was like a scene from an action-packed movie. But this was real. Some thugs yesterday invaded the Senate and snatched the mace, the symbol of parliamentary authority.

    The thugs were said to have stormed the chamber around 11.16 am, in support of Ovie-Omo-Agege, who was suspended last Thursday for 90 legislative days.

    He was suspended for not backing the Senate’s decision to alter the order of elections.

    For five minutes, the thugs took over the Chamber, as senators ran helter-skelter for fear of their lives.

    Some Ghanaian lawmakers, workers and visitors in the gallery watched as the drama unfolded.

    The thugs went straight for the mace, and pulled it off its stand in front of the Senate President’s seat.

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekeremadu, who was presiding, was about piloting the business of the day when mayhem broke out.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki is attending the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings in the United States (U.S.).

    Three of the thugs rushed to snatch the mace while others positioned themselves at the entrance.

    One of them hijacked the mace and brushed aside one sergeant-at-arms personnel who attempted the courage to challenge him.

    The thug charged at Ekweremadu, shouting: “get out from there, this is democracy, you cannot stop our senator from this chamber,” as he went for the mace.

    After snatching the mace, the thugs pushed their way through until they disappeared through the exclusive Villa Gate.

    The mace snatcher jumped into a waiting Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), which was stationed in front of the National Assembly (White House) door.

    The vehicle zoomed off to access the central gate but it was locked. The vehicle did a decoy and disappeared through the Villa Gate.

    It was learnt that the thugs came into the National Assembly Complex in three SUVs which were positioned at strategic points.

    The incident forced the Senate into an emergency executive session to discuss the matter.

    School children on excursion appeared terrified as they watched the drama.

    There was an unusually high number of security personnel at the National Assembly Complex early yesterday.

    Before the invasion, protesters milled at the central gate of the National Assembly, demanding the recall of Omo-Agege.

    About 30 minutes after the invasion, some members of the House of Representatives led by Deputy Speaker Yussuff Lasun visited the Senate in solidarity.

    Ekweremadu: It’s affront on democracy

    Receiving the representatives, Ekweremadu said: “I thank you for your solidarity. This morning (yesterday) we had an unusual incident at the Senate chamber.

    “At about 11:30 some armed thugs invaded the Senate chamber, assaulted some of our staff and some of the media persons and forcefully took away the mace of the Senate.

    ”They passed through the entrance and the gate and left the National Assembly with the mace. They attempted kidnapping two of our senators.

    “Those they attempted to kidnap were eventually left but we decided that we will not be intimidated by the circumstance.

    “We will stand by our democracy we will defend our democracy. It is an affront on the Senate, it is an affront on democracy, it is an affront on the National Assembly, it is an affront on the parliament but we are going to stand together to ensure that we continue with the assignment  Nigerians gave us to represent them.

    “We are going to get to the root of this matter and I believe that I speak the minds of all of you here if I say that security agencies must recover our mace within 24 hours.

    “We are giving the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) 24 hours to recover our mace.

    “Let me thank the Deputy Speaker and our colleagues from the House of Representatives. We want to assure you that we refuse to be intimidated. We are going to carry out our assignment fully.

    “We have decided to go through everything on our order paper for today even if it takes us till 6 o’clock today. We will conclude everything here because that is what we are being paid to do.”

    Earlier at plenary, Ekweremadu put the motion that the police and DSS be given 24 hours to recover the mace to vote and it was unanimously carried.

    Lasun said: “I have read a lot of books about representative democracy and what baffles me most is the fact that once you try to demean the institution of the assembly that means you are pretenders to the institution of democracy and that means that once your assembly ceases to function or you ostracise it or you want to muzzle the parliament, definitely you are no longer practicing democracy.

    “Let the pretenders know that it is the assembly that defines democracy and for the fact that we lack that knowledge and because of the way some of us started practicing politics a lot of the populace do not agree with the fact that if we have to develop, the institution of legislature must be well strengthened and once you do not do that you should as well forget about democracy.

    “I was coming out of my office this morning when the sergeant-at-arms accosted me and said the mace has been taken away but when I entered this chamber I saw the mace so I feel happy that democracy is going to work in Nigeria.

    “We decided on our own too to start sitting and to make sure that we treat the order paper as it should be treated.

    ”We decided to visit to solidarise not with you alone, but to tell Nigerians that this assembly must make sure that democracy works in Nigeria.

    “We are in solidarity with you and we will make a resolution to ensure that the mace is recovered within 24 hours.

    “You can be rest assured that whatever touches you touches the House of Representatives.”

    It’s treason, says Senate

    In a statement, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs Chairman Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said:

    “Today, some armed hoodlums led by suspended Senator Ovie Omo-Agege walked into the Senate plenary and seized the symbol of authority of the Upper Legislative Chamber, the mace.

    “This action is an act of treason, as it is an attempt to overthrow a branch of the Federal Government of Nigeria by force, and it must be treated as such.

    “All security agencies must stand on the side of due process and immediately mobilise their personnel to retrieve the mace and apprehend the mastermind and the perpetrators of this act.

    “This action is also an affront on the legislature, and the leadership of the House has come to express their support against this action.

    In another statement entitled: “Senate back in session with mace in place” Abdullahi said:

    “The Senate has resumed plenary after coming out of an executive (closed door) session where the earlier incident of forceful removal of the mace was deliberated upon.

    “The Senate decided that it will get to the root of this sad assault on democracy and an obvious act of treason which the seizure of the mace by some armed hoodlums represents. The hoodlums severely attacked some members of staff of the National Assembly, particularly the sergeant-at-arms on chamber duties.

    “The Senate has mandated the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Idris Kpotum Ibrahim and Director-General of the State Security Services (SSS), Mallam Lawan Daura, to retrieve the mace stolen by the hoodlums within 24 hours.”

    In a statement entitled: “Attack on Senate: Saraki commends colleagues, House members for defending democracy,” the Senate President hailed the lawmakers for defending democracy.

    Saraki said by their action, the lawmakers had sent a strong signal that enemies of democracy and those who want to undermine the legislature would be resisted by parliamentarians.

    “I have just been informed that some hoodlums invaded the Senate chamber, forcefully took away the mace and assaulted some of our sergeant-at-arms on chamber duties. I am delighted that the Senate stood up to them by disregarding their unreasonable and shameful action and went on with the day’s proceedings as slated in the order paper.

    “My commendation goes to my deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, other members of the leadership, my colleagues, the leadership and members of the House of Representatives for standing in defence of democracy, parliamentary sanctity and constitutionalism.

    “With the way the Senate has defied those seeking to undermine it, we have sent out a strong signal that we are always ready to defend our constitutional mandate and nothing will deter us from this.

    “I associate myself with the comments of the Deputy Senate President that we are ready to get to the root of this assault on democracy and ensure that those who are responsible, no matter how remote, will be brought to justice”, Saraki said.

    Senator Solomon Adeola (Lagos West) was identified as one of the two senators the thugs attempted to kidnap.

    Adeola  was said to have mistakenly entered one of the SUVs used by the thugs.

    The senator was said to have struggled with the thugs before they let him off the around the Villa Gate area of the National Assembly.

    A senator from Imo State was said to the second person the thugs tried to kidnap.

     

  • PDP members walk out of plenary as Rep defects to APC

    PDP members walk out of plenary as Rep defects to APC

    •Lawmakers threaten to sue Dogara

    THE defection of a member of the House of Representatives, Raphael Nnana Igbokwe, to the All Progressives Party (APC) on the floor of the Green Chamber yesterday caused a walkout from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus.

    The PDP members said they were standing on a Supreme Court ruling that states that any National Assembly member that defects without requisite reasons must lose his or her seat.

    The Caucus promised to go back to the Supreme Court for reinterpretation of the same ruling.

    The defection of the lawmaker, who is from Imo State and represents Ahazu/ Ezinihitte Mbaise Federal Constituency, was witnessed by Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha.

    The Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, had read a letter by the lawmaker, citing crisis in the PDP as the reason for defection to APC.

    Igbokwe, in his letter, said: “I write to inform the Rt Honourable Speaker and my dear colleagues that I have since registered and joined the APC since January 2017.

    “My decision to join the APC as at the time I did was as a result of the leadership crisis/division that rocked the Peoples Democratic Party. You would recall that the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria that finally resolved the leadership crisis was delivered in July 2017, six months after I joined the APC.

    “Since January 2017, I have stopped attending all PDP caucus meeting at the national levels.

    “On the flipside, I have since January 2017 been attending all APC caucus meetings and functions in my ward, local government, state and National levels and have been paying my party dues and levies.

    “The pending leadership litigation and division in Imo State chapter of PDP and the current legal crisis with the National leadership of  PDP evidenced by the suit instituted by Prof. Taoheed Adedoja further strengthens my earlier resolve to quit the Peoples Democratic Party.”

    He said the letter became necessary to clear doubt in the minds of his colleagues and constituents and the public as to the political party he belongs.

    But the PDP members cried foul, saying the defection was belated since there was no crisis in the party.

    They alleged that the Speaker was partisan and failed to do the right thing concerning the issue.

    Dogara had said the issue of a member vacating his or her seat resides in the National Assembly.

    According to him, it has to come through resolution after the House has been convinced that truly, there is no crisis in the party of the defecting member.

    He, however, said resolution is a majority issue since it has to be put to a vote.

    But the PDP lawmakers’ scream of no! no ! no! filled the chamber as they shouted the House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, down when he tried to rationalise the defection of Igbokwe under a point of law.

    After Dogara’s ruling, the PDP legislators filed out of the Chamber and out of plenary followed by Accord and APGA lawmakers in solidarity. According to them, the ruling was skewed in favour of Igbokwe.

    Deputy Minority Whip of the House Binta Bello, while speaking to reporters with other PDP caucus members after the walkout, alleged that the Speaker was unwilling to hear their side of the argument in the chamber.

    She said: “We raised different point of order to that effect but it did not yield any result. So, therefore, we want to go back to the Supreme Court to reinterpret to the chamber that same ruling that was done in the past.”

     

     

     

     

     

  • Senate threatens to suspend plenary over Rivers rerun elections

    Senate threatens to suspend plenary over Rivers rerun elections

    By a unanimous vote the Senate Wednesday resolved to suspend plenary if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to conduct rerun elections in River State on or before December 10, 2016.

    The resolution followed a motion by Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu on conclusion of all pending elections in Rivers State.

    The motion described as “very important” by Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, was co-sponsored by Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume.

    Ekweremadu in his lead debate, observed that in spite of Senate resolution 016/02/16 of 27th day of September, 2016 calling on the INEC to immediately conclude all pending rerun elections in the country “INEC has failed, refused and or neglected to conduct rerun elections in Rivers State into the Senate, House of Representatives and States House of Assembly.”

    He noted that the Senate also observed that “the failure of INEC to conduct the rerun elections in Rivers State within the time frame ordered by the respective elections tribunals and the courts is in breach of the Electoral Act and Section 76 of the 1999 Constitution does endangering the nations democracy.”

    Ekweremadu further observed that “non-representation of the entire people of Rivers State in the Senate and some constituencies of Rivers State in the House of Representatives and States House of Assembly is in breach of section 14 (2c) of the 1999 Constitution which enjoined the participation of every part of this country in the governance of Nigeria and this endangers peace and order in Rivers State.”

    The Deputy Senate President added that the failure of INEC to conduct elections in Rivers State has continued to deny the people of Rivers State their constitutional guaranteed rights to be represented in the legislative houses where laws affecting them are being made and endangered probable anxiety amongst people of the state.

    Ekweremadu prayed the Senate to resolve to ask INEC to conducts all the rerun elections in Rivers State before the end of September failing which the Senate shall suspend plenary until such a time the elections are conducted.

    Ndume urged the Senate to note the content, intent and the urgency of the motion.

     

    The Senate Leader said that since the emergence of INEC new leadership, the history has been inconclusive, suspension and confusion in electoral matters.

    Ndume said, “You can imagine today we are about to discuss Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) without any member from Rivers State. You can imagine our colleagues that were seated with us here, conducted election they believe they won, somebody elsewhere say they didn’t win.

    “But the truth of the matter is that anyone of us here could have been in that position. Let us remember this: whatever happens to you, you should think of another person. If it is our colleagues from Rivers today, it could be you any day.

    “You can imagine for whatever reason, for example, myself who had been a victim and our people who have been victims of insurgency, if elections were not conducted I will not be here, let alone being the Senate Leader.

    “How would it be for my people who are ravaged by insurgency not to have somebody to tell my colleagues what is actually on the ground. Just imagine the motions we raised that led to the passage of the bill on the North East Development Commission.  Our colleagues are out there and you cannot genuinely say it’s their fault.

    The second fear is that we have a new leadership in INEC. And we know the history now: inconclusive, suspension and confusion. And we have to do something.

    “Very soon, we will be preparing for general election. If we cannot conduct one election in Rivers, I know there are problems in Rivers but elections must hold. We have a government that is capable. It is not that this government is not capable or doesn’t have the will to conduct the election but the voice should come out from here, just as it is everywhere that it is better to take a wrong decision than not to take a decision at all.”

    Senator Mao Ohuabunwa suggested that instead of suspending plenary, the Senate should resolve not to consider any issue that has to do with INEC until the elections were conducted. The suggestion was dropped because it was not seconded.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Abubakar Kyari rose to inform the Senate that members of his committee approached INEC Chairman Mahmoud Yakubu who assured that the Rivers State rerun election would be conducted on December 10, 2016.

    Many Senators said that the INEC boss should not be trusted since he had promised and failed in the past.

    Saraki asked Ekweremadu in view of the information by Kyari whether he (Ekweremadu) wanted to amend his prayer to reflect the information provided by Kyari.

    Ekweremadu said, “The INEC Chairman has given his word, we have to take him by his word. It is a test for him to ensure that the elections are conducted as promised because we are not properly constituted.”

    Saraki put the question “to urge INEC to conduct all rerun elections in Rivers State on or before December 10, 2016 failing which the Senate shall suspend plenary until such a time the elections are conducted.”

    There was no opposition to the prayer as it was adopted unanimously.

     

  • Ekiti lawmakers cancel plenary

    Ekiti lawmakers cancel plenary

    •APC slams Ozekhome over comment

    There was lull in government activities in Ekiti State yesterday, few days after some members of the House of Assembly and other appointees of Governor Ayo Fayose were either invited or arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS).

    A good number of commissioners and senior government officials stayed away from work as activities in their offices were at a low ebb.

    Some members of the House of Assembly showed up and held their usual parliamentary meeting but they cancelled a plenary session already scheduled for the day.

    Although the lawmakers, led by Speaker Kola Oluwawole, did not give reasons for the cancellation of the planned plenary where they would have passed another vote of confidence in Fayose, a source said “the environment was not conducive for such a session”.

    The source said: “I believe they did not hold the emergency plenary as planned because the environment was not conducive for such. Some lawmakers on the DSS wanted list have gone underground and the fear of the unknown still looms large.”

    Rights lawyer and activist Morakinyo Ogele has said the arrest of the government officials was in order and a signal that the era of impunity, lawlessness and rape of constitution is over.

    Ogele, who spoke with our reporter in Ado-Ekiti, said no matter how long it takes, the law would catch up with all those “who committed heinous crimes against the state and thought that the day of reckoning would never come”.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) berated a lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, for accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of involvement in the arrest.

    The party regretted that a known advocate of truth, civil rights and a defender of constitutionalism is fast losing steam over “rabid partisanship that has eroded his flowery credentials while defending falsehood founded on rumours”.

    Reacting to Ozekhome’s allegation in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party accused the senior lawyer of engaging in spreading falsehood, regretting that the civil right advocate is fast losing focus as a defender of truth while protecting people thriving in criminality and falsehood.

    “With his hasty and partisan outburst, Ozekhome has only portrayed himself as a busy-body commenting on a matter he knows nothing about,” the APC said.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NASS adjourns plenary till after elections

    The National Assembly has adjourned plenary until after the forthcoming general election.

    The adjournment came after the Senate read the 2015 Appropriation Bill for the second time.

    Details later…

  • ‘No plenary on our campus’

    ‘No plenary on our campus’

    The Ekiti State University (EKSU) has said its campus is not open t0 lawmakers to hold plenary.

    In a statement yesterday, the management said the university is a community of scholars and teachers and should not be joined in “unnecessary political issues”.

    Signed by the Registrar, Emmanuel Ogunyemi, the statement said the university remains apolitical and non-partisan.

    The statement reads: “The attention of the Management of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, has been drawn to news reports by print and electronic media organisations over plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers in the Ekiti State House Of Assembly to hold plenary meetings on the campus.

    “The university management wishes to inform the public that EKSU is not open to political meetings and we state unequivocally that no legislative meeting was held on our campus and no such meetings would be allowed to hold in the university premises.

    “The university is a community of teachers and scholars and Ekiti State University is committed to excellence in teaching, learning, and research and should not be joined with unnecessary political issues.”

  • Tambuwal: House rejects plan to reconvene plenary

    Tambuwal: House rejects plan to reconvene plenary

    Mu’azu, others mount pressure on PDP Reps 

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders have embarked on some desperate measures to seize the House from Speaker Aminu Tambuwal.

    Party Chairman Adamu Mu’azu is set to meet today the party’s caucus in the House — in a move to get members’ support for a plot to impeach Tambuwal, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Besides, Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha is under pressure to reconvene plenary, which Tambuwal suspended till December 3.

    But the House warned yesterday that such a plan was illegal.

    In a statement, House  spokesman Zakari Mohammed said the rule book is clear on reconvening the House.

    According to him, only the Speaker is empowered to reconvene the House after it has been adjourned for one reason or the other.

    The statement reads: “The House of Representatives adjourned sitting of its plenary on 28th of October to 3rd December 2014 to allow members of the House carry out pre Pre- Budget oversight activities in preparation for the 2015 Budget and also to meet the political calendar of all the political parties.

    “This adjournment was unanimously approved by all the Principal Officers of the House without dissent and the motion was moved by Hon Mulikat- Adeola-Akande, the Majority Leader .The Speaker, Rt. Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal approved with the Gavel.

    “There has been intense media focus on this adjournment and media inquiries on the appropriate procedure for re- convening of the House of Representatives from its Recess , if it becomes necessary. The following clarification has become imperative.

    “The procedure for reconvening or Re-Assembly of the House is contained in the House Standing Orders made pursuant to Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which empowers the House to regulate its own procedure, including the procedure for Summoning and Recess of the House.

    “Order V, Rule 18(2) of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives provides as follows;

    “Whenever the House stands adjourned either to a date fixed by Resolution or the Rules of the House, and it is represented by the Leaders of the Political Parties in the House to the Speaker that the public interest requires that the House should meet on an earlier or a later date or time than that on which it stands adjourned, the Speaker MAY give notice accordingly, and the House shall meet on the date and at the time stated in the notice.”

    “This means that the Leaders of all the political parties in the House, especially the Majority and Minority Leaders respectively, MUST consent before the representation is made to the Speaker who has a discretion to agree or not.

    “This briefing is for the information and guidance of all Nigerians”.

    PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) leaders are facing a tough task getting House of Representatives members to remove Speaker Aminu Tambuwal.

    The PDP has been mounting pressure on its members in the House to reconvene the House and remove the Speaker.

    Tambuwal’s security detail has been withdrawn by Inspector General of Police Sulaiman Abba – a move that has received widespread condemnation.

    The PDP leadership has slated a meeting for today with its lawmakers in the House.

    It was summoned by party Chairman Adamu Mu’azu. Ahead of today’s meeting the PDP house caucus met in Abuja on Saturday night.

    They have tabled three conditions before Muazu for the removal of Tambuwal.

    The conditions are: •automatic tickets for members who are governorship, senatorial and seeking a return to the House;

    •a bond to clip the wings of governors who have hijacked all the processes for free and fair primaries; and

    • freedom to elect whoever they prefer as Speaker instead of foisting House Leader Mulikat Akande-Adeola on them.

    The APC caucus in the House filed a case seeking an injunction to stop the PDP leaders from reconvening the House till December 3.

    Amid the looming war in the House, the Presidency was rattled by a statement from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) declaring the withdrawal of Tambuwal’s security as illegal.

    It was also gathered that the Chairman of PDP Governors Forum, Akwa Ibom Governor Godswill Akpabio, confronted Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha for allowing the PDP Caucus in the House to lose out.

    But Ihedioha reportedly fired back, asking a “dumbfounded” Akpabio what the forum had done to assist the caucus to consolidate its grip on the House.

    PDP Representatives met on Saturday in Abuja on the invitation of Mu’azu.

    A source at the session said: “We had a pre-meeting session since the agenda was obvious to all of us. Most of us were angry that it is only when the party wants to use us for selfish end that we are considered important.

    “We cannot remember when last Muazu and the NWC met us on policy issues, the development of the nation and the fortune of the party.

    “The party did not even deem it fit to put us into confidence on the modalities for the 2015 poll primaries and how to retain good hands among us. The party even had the gut to tell all House members from Bayelsa State to forget about second term ticket. Now, we are relevant because of plans to remove Tambuwal.”

    Another PDP Representative said: “We have come up with two conditions which the party must meet for the removal of the Speaker.

    “One, the party must give us automatic tikets irrespective of which office we are seeking.   Those aspiring to be governors, senators and second term in the House of Representatives should be given automatic chances.

    “We insisted that we won’t sign for the House to reconvene until the issue of automatic ticket is sorted out by the party.

    “Secondly, the party should check the governors who are deliberately frustrating the aspiration of most of our members in 2015. These governors must stop imposition of candidates; we want free and fair primaries.

    “We want freedom to choose whoever we want as Speaker after the removal of Tambuwal. We do not want the party to foist the House Leader on us.”

    As part of its counter-plot, the APC Caucus in the House will today head for court, seeking an injunction to restrain PDP members from reconvening the House.

    The Federal Government was on Saturday rattled by a statement from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which declared the withdrawal of Tambuwal’s security aides as illegal.

    Since the statement was issued, NBA President Augustine Alegeh (SAN) is said to have been under intense pressure from some Presidency officials.

    “But the NBA leadership stood by its position on Tambuwal and asked the government to allow the court to make a pronouncement,” another source said.

    The anti-Tambuwal project is, however, causing disaffection within the ranks and file of the party.

    It was learnt that at a meeting convened last Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Akpabio confronted Ihedioha.

    A PDP source added: “In the presence of President Goodluck Jonathan, Akpabio confronted the deputy speaker on why the PDP Caucus was being taken for granted by the opposition. Like a headmaster, Akpabio was shouting.

    “But Ihedioha fired back and asked Akpabio to explain what the PDP Governors Forum had done to support the PDP Caucus in the House.

    “Those at the session had to calm frayed nerves to restore normalcy.”