NBA Blasts Acting IG, Calls For Immediate Restoration Of Tambuwal’s Security Details

AMINU TAMBUWAL (R) WITH NBA PRESIDENT, AUGUSTINE ALEDEH
AMINU TAMBUWAL (R) WITH NBA PRESIDENT, AUGUSTINE ALEGEH

The Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, has called on the Acting Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, to immediately restore police escort and security details to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.

The speaker’s security details were withdrawn by the Nigeria Police two days after he formally defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress.

The Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Emmanuel Ojukwu, in a statement last Thursday, confirmed that Mr. Tambuwal’s police details were redeployed because he violated the constitution by defecting to the APC.

In a statement, Mr. Ojukwu said, “In view of the recent defection by the Right Honourable Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, CFR, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, from the People Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressive Congress, APC, and having regard to the clear provision of section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, has redeployed its personnel attached to his office”.

But the NBA in a statement signed by its National President, Augustine Alegeh, strongly condemned the action of the police, saying since it (Nigeria Police) is not a court of law, it lacked the competence to determine whether or not Mr. Tambuwal violated the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

The umbrella body for lawyers’ in the country said that only the court has the exclusive reserve to determine whether Mr. Tambuwal violated any law by switching political parties.

“The Nigeria Bar Association outrightly condemns this action as it is a breach of the constitutional duty of the police to provide police escort and security detail to the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, the NBA stated.

“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.

“We must state that the mere fact that Rt. Honourable Aminu Tambuwal defected from one party to the other whilst being the Speaker of the House of Representatives, does not automatically strip him of his position as speaker of the House of Representatives and the attendant protection by the police”.

The statement pointed out that Mr. Tambuwal was not elected speaker by any one political party, but by a majority of members of the House of Representatives.

It, therefore, called on the acting IGP to restore the escort and security details to Mr. Tambuwal, adding that withdrawing his security aides portends great danger to the nation’s democracy.

“Our democracy must remain firmly rooted on the respect for due process and the rule of law”, the NBA maintained.

1 COMMENT

  1. The argument of the NBA is not only puerile but sterile. Two timing Tambuwa who himself is a lawyer, ought to be conversant with the law but deliberately collaborated and procted previous defectors. At the end of the day and at best, he may remain a member of the house but definitely, not the speaker. The law is quite clear. He can’t just lock up the House and take away the keys. It is not his property. His cup of treachery is full.