By Henry Umoru
ABUJA- FORMER Deputy leader of the Federal House of Representatives, Mao Ohuabunwa has described the dumping of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the All Progressives Congress, APC by Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal as abnormal, just as he stressed that morality should drive Nigerian politicians.
Speaking with Journalists yesterday in Abuja after submitting his forms to run the Abia North Senstorial District, Ohuabunwa who was in the house between 1999-2007, said that Tambuwal erred in his action, saying that the rules of the House has been tampered with, adding that it was a member of the majority party that ascended the office of the speaker, adding, “It is not normal for a Speaker to defect, for me, what is important is that; I found out that it is like the rules of the house has been tampered with because it used to be a member of the majority in the house that becomes the Speaker.
“It is the majority party that always presents a speaker and members will be asked to vote, even at all the leadership levels in the house, it was like that then.
“All the major principal leaders in the house were from the majority party while other positions were filled by the minority” he said.
According to him, it was time for the politicians to do the right thing, adding, “everything should not be legal, we should not try to be legalistic about everything, it is very clear that if you have any reason to cross carpet, to that extent, you lose your seat. So, the speaker has lost his seat as the speaker for defecting”.
According to him, what made Tambuwal speaker was his political party, adding, “I don’t see anything wrong if he can re-seek the mandate of the House under his new political party to become speaker.
“These things, morals are involved and you cannot take somebody’s mandate, people have given you their mandate on trust and i believe that we should begin to do things right and i feel that as the Speaker decided to move, it would have gone in the history of this country that he was the speaker under a particular platform and after changing his platform, he decided to change and throw in the towel, that will make him a hero.
“Let us not heat up the system and what i see sometimes that bothers me is that most of us, when a decision is taken and it suits us, then that decision is right and we can justify it by any logic but when it does not suit us, we begin to feel it is wrong”.
Not happy with the adjournement, he said, “The house just resumed from recess and they were supposed to start budget presentation, but when they don’t have time because the speaker adjourned sitting till December, then it will be difficult for them to treat the budget. And when they resume, they will still go on Christmas break, so i feel these whole thing is worrisome and there is no time again.”
Meanwhile, former chief of staff to Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu, Umar Nasko who submitted his nomination forms to run for the Niger State governorship election in 2015, declared yesterday that insurgency has been contained in Niger state, adding, “We have been able to contain threats of insurgents in Niger State and I make bold to say that Niger State is one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria today.”
According to him, Niger State has a lot to contribute towards the development and growth of the country especially in terms of unity and security.