Reps group rejects ‘imposition’ of speaker

The House Project, a group of members of the House of Representatives, has kicked against the move by external forces to impose a speaker on the House.

The group which claimed it has about 80 returning members and no fewer than 200 new members-elect in its fold described the move as “not only undemocratic but also dictatorial” which if allowed to stand, has the potential to compromise the independence of the legislature as enshrined in the principles of separation of powers.

In a statement signed by the Co-ordinator of the group, Hon. John Owan-Enoh, the group said: “Handpicking a speaker for the House by forces outside the House diminishes the essence and the spirit of the three separate arms of government, which should be independent of one another.

The statement added that “the integrity of the process of electing the leadership of the legislature goes a long way in defining and determining the integrity of such a leadership and the quality of leadership it would offer, especially in a developing democracy such as ours.”

The statement noted that the first step in ensuring that the seventh House of Representatives begins in the right direction is by, “democratically electing its leadership by elected House members devoid of any external influences.”

The group reasoned that the instability witnessed in the House in 1999 and 2007 that saw the removal of Hon. Salisu Buhari and Patricia Etteh, respectively, had its roots in the imposition of the two ex-speakers by the Presidency.

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