PDP VS. TAMBUWAL: COURT ADJOURNS TILL MARCH 24

The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to determine whether or not 37 members of the House of Representatives who recently defected from the party to the All Progressives Congress, APC, can initiate, move or support any motion to remove the leadership of the House.

Adopting written addresses in court, counsel to the PDP Ustaz Usman, argued that having defected to another party, the defendants lose the constitutional rights to take part in a process in the House, adding that the issue of declaring their seats vacant was a matter still subject to determination in another court.

Counsels to the defendants as well as the Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal, his deputy Emeka Ihedioha and the House of Representatives, who were also joined in the matter said that no judicial proceeding is required to grant permission or otherwise to anyone legally a part of the National Assembly to decide over issues there, whether there has been a defection or not.

The court had during an earlier hearing restrained the House of Representatives and its principal officers from effecting any changes in the composition of its leadership.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) filed the suit against the House of Representatives and some of its members, seeking to restrain the Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal, other principal officers of the House and its defecting members from taking any step “to alter or change the leadership of the 1st defendant (PDP).

The PDP filed the suit after 37 members of the House of Representatives defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), increasing the number of lawmakers of the APC.

Decision in the matter has been adjourned till March 24, 2014.