Rep says Buhari’s aide stops Speaker Gbajabiamila from swearing him in
Rep Garba Chede, member representing Bali/Gassol Federal Constituency of Taraba State in the 8th National Assembly has alleged that Reps Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, has disobeyed a court order to swear him into 9th Assembly and instead obeyed the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Personal Assistant on Domestic Affairs, Sarki Abba Abdulkadir to stop him from being sworn in.
Chede had recontested the 2019 election with the present occupant, Rep Mubarak Gambo, which became a subject of litigation but won and got a Court order to be sworn in.
Speaking in an interview with journalists in Abuja, Chede explained how the presidential aide connived with the Speaker to make him disobey the Court order despite persuasion from some members of the House.
“The Federal High Court has granted an order that I should be sworn in as a member representing Bali/Gassol Federal Constituency, but I am yet to be sworn in. It is an order of mandamus which mandates the Speaker to swear me in.
“But when I brought the order, I handed it over to Mr. Speaker and after he read the order, the Speaker said there was somebody called Sarki Abba who is a Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs in the presidency who has an interest on the current person.
“The S.A on Domestic Affairs equally told Mr Speaker that the current occupant had gone to appeal the judgement and he also said it is the culture of the House to shield a seating member even if there is Court order. It is not automatic to swear in a new member at that point,” Shede said.
He further revealed that the House of Reps Minority leader and other members persuaded the Speaker to respect the Court order, but, he has continued to decline.
“The Minority leader of the House, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attacked him and told him to obey the Court order. I’m surprised that the Speaker is so adamant against the ruling of Court.
“I am surprised that the Speaker disobeyed Court judgement and I doubt much how he a lawmaker will make law and disobey the law at the same time.
“Now, we are going back to court to seek another directive. The surprising thing is that Mr. Speaker is even a lawyer and he knows the implication. All I know is the selfishness, we are talking of the Court order; we are talking of the law; law supercedes every individual.
“The story of Sarki Abba, I am not the only one he told. He told many people that Sarki Abba at the presidency is interested in the member occupying my office illegally.
“Of course, the action of the Speaker is enough to give the opposition a chance to take over because if the Speaker that is our head in the APC cannot respect a Court order, that is total destruction,” he said.
Chede further detailed how the Attorney-General of the Federation had written to the Speaker on the position of the Court and advised him to swear me in, but he chose to obey Buhari’s aide against the judiciary.
“The Attorney-General of the Federation who is the chief law officer of the country wrote him and advised him to swear in Hon. Garba Chede to no avail. Even the legal department of the National Assembly did same but it fell on deaf ears.
“He wrote Mr. Speaker to swear me in. But all that he said was that I should go and bring the Court order, like a chameleon, he changed and still insisted that there was someone called Sarki Abba. He made the statement in the presence of many people.
“So all my fate now is in Court for another order to him. If the Speaker choses to disobey the Court order. Let’s see how it goes.
“But, this offence, although I am not a lawyer, this may land him in prison. I am assuring my supporters that we are going to get the victory against the Speaker’s will.
Chede further shed light on how the House Leader intervened, but was shunned, and said he wondered what was making him to obey few elements in the executive rather than the institution of the Judiciary.
“I met the house leader, Hon. Ado Doguwa over the issue and in my presence, Ado Doguwa sent a text to him. He called him back and told him that I, Hon. Garba Shede, was a Reps member and even said that the present occupant did not participate in the primary election. Even our head boy, Hon. Mutari Betara also contributed that he should swear me in but he refused.
“Also, one of our leaders, Hon. James Faleke told him to respect the Court order, but he also refused, insisting that there is one S.A in the presidency called Sarki Abba who is interested in the guy occupying the seat and Faleke was surprised and asked him what concerned the President’s Special Assistant with the National Assembly.
“To me, I am surprised, may be they are telling him that they will give him the President of this country and that’s why he is obeying their instruction,” Chede alleged.
Periscope International recalls that a Federal High Court in Jalingo had on 21st September sacked Mubarak Gambo, the incumbent lawmaker representing the constituency and ordered that Chede be sworn in to replace him immediately.
Chede and Gambo who are of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have been at each others neck on who deserves to represent the constituency at the National Assembly.
Chede who was earlier declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the 2019 election was sacked by the court, paving way for the incumbent to manage the position.
Chede who was reinstated to his position by the court on Sept 21 had appealed the case.
In his ruling, Justice Simone Amonbita, urged Gambo to desist from parading himself as the member representing Bali/Gassol in the lower chamber of the National Assembly.
The judge also directed him to refund all the monies he had so far collected as allowances throughout his period of stay in the Assembly.
The judge had also directed INEC to issue a certificate of return to Chede and urged the leadership of the House of Representatives to swear in Chede as the authentic member representing the area.
