The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the withdrawal of the security aides of the Speaker of the House of Representatives by the Inspector General of Police on the ground of an alleged violation of section 68 sub section 1(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the speaker.
In a statement, the NBA President, Augustine Alegeh, said: “The Nigeria Police Force is not a Court of Law and lack competence to determine whether or not a provision of the constitution has been violated”. He insisted that the function was reserved for the courts of law exclusively.
The lawyers’ reaction is the latest that has trailed the removal of the security aides of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, after he defected to the All Progressives Congress from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday.
Part of the statement by the association read: “The Rt. Honourable Aminu Tambuwal still remains the Speaker of the House of Representatives and he is entitled to the full paraphernalia of his office including all his Police escort and security detail”.
The NBA called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba, to restore the Police escort and security detail of the Speaker immediately, as the action portends a grave danger to Nigeria’s democracy.
After Tambuwal’s defection, the PDP advised him to ‘do the needful‘ and vacate the seat of the speaker, but the Minority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, said Tambuwal was not made speaker by the PDP.
He insisted that Tambuwal was made Speaker, through a unanimous vote of members of the House in different political parties and not just the PDP.
