BEVERLY HILLS, CA, November 28, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives Thursday declared that there was no plan to change its leadership as it is being speculated in certain quarters.
It said the leadership led by Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal remains intact in spite of the anticipated mass defection of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Deputy chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Victor Ogene (APGA, Anambra), who disclosed this at the weekly briefing, noted that unless the opposition parties get up to 181 members, there will be no basis to discuss any change in the leadership of the House.
According to the spokesman, “There is no cause for alarm. The leadership of the House is intact and until a particular political party has up to 181 members before you start talking of changing leadership. “
He explained that section 68 (1) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) is clear on the defection of lawmakers as there is nothing like group or mass defection.
With the recent defection of five PDP governors to APC , it is expected that lawmakers loyal to them would follow suit, thereby making the PDP a minority party in both chambers of National Assembly.
Before the defection of the five ‘rebel’ governors, the PDP had 208 members while the APC had 137 but with this latest development, the APC may control the majority.
On the controversy trailing the presentation of 2014 budget estimates by President Goodluck Jonathan, the chairman said the House was not blackmailed by the insistence of the president that until both chambers reconciled their positions on oil benchmark, he will not present the appropriation bill.
In his words, “We are not blackmailed. We are only taking it in our strides. Whenever we get the document (budget proposal), we will work on it.”
Meanwhile, a member of the House, Hon. Samson Okwu (PDP, Benue) yesterday at the plenary called to question the integrity and capacity of the five man conference constituted by the leadership to reconcile oil benchmark with the Senate.
Okwu argued that the same lawmakers were earlier given the assignment and could not deliver as they disagreed amongst themselves and wondered why they should be chosen again.
Saint Mugaga, Abuja
