Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, whose security aides were withdrawn on Thursday by the Police Inspector General, Suliaman Abba, has challenged the withdrawal at in the court.
Tambuwal was seen in company of his legal luminaries and colleagues from the House on Friday afternoon at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
At the court, the Speaker and his new party All Progressive Congress (APC) have filed a suit against the Federal Government and six others over attempt to declare his seat vacant and for withdrawing his security aides.
Joined as defendants in the case are Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), its National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Inspector General of Police, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation AGF.
In the suit filed at the registry of the court through, Jubrin Okutepa his lawyer, Tambuwal asked the court to declare that the attempt to declare his seat vacant as a member and Honorable speaker is unlawful and unconstitutional.
He begged the court to restrain the defendants from taking any steps to interfere or infringe on his rights and privileges as the speaker of the House of Representatives and as a member of the House before the expiration of his term.
He asked the court to give an order of perpetual injunction to halt INEC from accepting any nomination of candidates or organising a bye-election for the purpose of replacing him.
He further prayed the court for an order of mandatory injunction compelling the IGP and the AGF to restore his security details and all other rights, benefits and privileges appurtenant to members of/and the office of the Honorable Speaker.
There are also reports that some lawyers in Lagos on faulted the IGPs move, describing it as unconstitutional. The lawyers also noted that the withdrawal could put Nigeria’s democracy in great jeopardy.
Yinka Farounbi, chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, was quoted by News Agency of Nigeria as describing Abba’s directive as an abuse of power.
In the agency’s report, Farounbi also said that the police authorities misinterpreted Section 68 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to back the action.
“There is no crime in defecting to another party and the IGP is not the person responsible for interpreting what the constitution says on any issue,” he told the news agency. “That is the responsibility of the court.”
