Reps in rowdy session over deployment of soldiers

Posted by admin Headlines, House, Legislature Wednesday, July 11th, 2012

Members of the House of Representatives were divided on Wednesday over the alleged deployment of 3,500 soldiers in Edo State by the Federal Government for Saturday’s governorship poll.

The development caused a delay in the proceedings for some minutes.

The session became rowdy when the majority Peoples Democratic Party members tried to shout down a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria who complained about the troop deployment.

The lawmaker, Mr. Bimbo Daramola from Ekiti State, had raised a matter of urgent public importance to draw the attention of the House to the troop deployment.

Daramola said since there was no war in Edo State, he could not understand the essence of deploying 3,500 soldiers for the election.

“This is a constitutional matter, Mr. Speaker,” he said, but was shouted down.

The Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, came to his aid by advising members to allow Daramola to make his point.

However, when the matter was put to vote, Daramola was defeated in a majority “nay” voice vote.

After the ruling, some members started shouting “PDP, power”, “PDP, power and for some minutes, the lawmakers became unruly.

Tambuwal had to consistently appeal to members to be calm.

But, the Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, challenged the speaker’s ruling, saying the voice vote was not clear.

Citing Order 11 (77) of the House rules, Gbajabiamila asked that the House should be divided so that a physical count of members could be taken.

Tambuwal initially overruled him, insisting that in his opinion as the speaker, the motion was defeated.

But, he later reversed the ruling and apologised to the House for interpreting the rule wrongly.

Under Order 11 (77), whenever a member challenges the decision of the speaker on any voice ruling, it provides that the House will be divided so that members can be counted physically.

In compliance with the rule, Tambuwal reversed the earlier ruling and slated the matter for voting on Thursday (today).

“I, therefore, reverse the ruling.

“Also, since many of the members who were here when the decision was taken have left the chamber, this matter will be taken tomorrow.

“It will be the first matter to be taken tomorrow,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the former General-Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Dele Adesina, on Wednesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, condemned the deployment of troops in Edo State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

Adesina, a senior advocate of Nigeria, described the action by the Federal Government as “undemocratic.”

The former NBA General Secretary said this while delivering the Chief Toye Coker Annual Memorial Lecture during the 2012 Annual Law Week of the Abeokuta branch of the NBA.

Adesina said the conduct of election under the” supervision” of armed soldiers would not only instil fears in the voters in the state, but might not guarantee free, fair and transparent election.

-Punchwp_posts