NBA Condemns Withdrawal of Tambuwal’s Security Aides
NBA STATEMENT ON WITHDRAWAL OF POLICE ESCORT AND SECURITY DETAILS ATTACHED TO RT. HON. AMINU TAMBUWAL – SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
The Nigerian Bar Association condemns strongly the stripping of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Rt. Honourable Aminu Tambuwal of his Police escort and Security detail by the Inspector General of Police on the ground of an alleged violation of section 68 (1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 [as amended] by Rt. Honourable Aminu Tambuwal.
The Nigeria Police Force is not a Court of Law and lacks competence to determine whether or not a provision of the constitution has been violated by Rt. Honourable Aminu Tambuwal. That is a function reserved for the Courts of Law exclusively.
The Nigerian 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 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 and the attendant protection by the Police. The Speaker of the House of Representatives is not elected by any one political party, but by a majority of members of the House of Representatives.
The Nigerian Bar Association calls on the Inspector General of Police to restore the Police escort and security detail of the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives immediately as this action portends a grave danger to our democracy.
Our democracy must remain firmly rooted on respect for due process and rule of Law.
Augustine Alegeh, SAN, FCIArb
President, Nigerian Bar Association
31st October, 2014
