By Danlami Nmodu
Speaker House of Representatives,Mr Aminu Tambuwal has ended the on -going recess by members of the House as he directed that the House should reconvene on Thursday November 20th 2014.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Speaker said he was convening a special session after receiving a communication from President Goodluck Jonathan asking for an extension of emergency rule in Adamawa , Borno and Yobe States.
Tambuwal said , “On Tuesday, 18th November 2014, I received a communication from the President,Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, requesting for the extension of the existing State of Emergency in Adamawa , Borno and Yobe States by the House of Representatives.
“Pursuant to the powers conferred on me by Section 305 ( 2 ) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which requires me to “forthwith convene or arrange a meeting of the House” and in order to treat the extension before the expiration of the current State of Emergency in accordance with Section 305 (6) (c) of the Constitution, I hereby reconvene the House of Representatives, currently on Recess, as follows : Date : Thursday, 20th November, 2014 Time : 11:00 am prompt Venue : House of Representatives Chambers, Agenda : Consideration of Mr President’s request for extension of the existing State of Emergency.”Tambuwal in the statement urged members to attend the special session.
The speaker announced the adjournment of sitting till December soon after announcing his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Given the intrigues after he announced his defection, there will obviously be massive interest in the proceedings of the House during the special session.Will the speaker survive ?Better put, will PDP succeed in ousting Tambuwal as speaker?Only time will tell.
