Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has been accused of beefing the leadership of 9th House of Representatives.
The Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, flayed the bill in a communique its Chairman, Ekiti governor, Kayode Fayemi signed wherein it said the group’s decision was predicated on the convincing reservation Gov. Aminu Tambuwal has about it (the bill).
Speaking against the backdrop of the governors’ opposition to the bill, the House via a statement its spokesman, Hon. Ben Kalu released, attacked the former Speaker saying his position was not informed by public good but private interest and settling old political scores.
The statement read in part: “It is rather surprising that the NGF, in arriving at its decision, relied on “an update from the Governor of Sokoto State,” who, apart from being a lawyer, is a former Speaker and an ex-ranking member of the House, who should know better and guide the Forum accordingly.
“We assume that his position was informed by his well-known personal and partisan opposition to the emergence of the current leadership of the house considering his obvious stance in 2015 and 2019.
“Unlike in a constitution amendment matter, where state houses of assembly have a defined constitutional role to play in effecting any review to it, Bills such as the Control of Infectious Diseases are not by our constitution subject of the concurrence of state houses of assembly or state governors. We do believe that our respected Governors are aware of these lawful processes of legislation and should not be misguided by the biased position of a former speaker.
“Let it be known that the House of Representatives, and indeed the National Assembly, are independent of the control of any state governor or former Speaker, except if we want to change that now. Even at that, it has to be by a constitutional amendment sponsored the citizens and not by the personal view of one Governor and former speaker.”
