Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Idris Wase on Thursday said Senate Minority Leader, Eyinnaya Abaribe, should be in prison for failing to produce leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu in court.
Wase said Abaribe should be jailed just as Senator Ali Ndume when he failed to produce former chairman of Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, who he stood for as surety.
A member of the House, Sada Soli, had raised a point of privilege, expressing displeasure House Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, disclosed information they had in a closed-door executive session last week about some members planning to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wase, in his contribution, seemed piqued that Elumelu, after their session, was in a meeting with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus of two Chambers of the National Assembly.
“For him to even go out to report Mr Speaker. It was a confidential matter. You know the meaning of executive session. He couldn’t have gone there to report that one.
“Mr Speaker I want to say there is a kind of false platform that I am seeing because after that meeting, PDP caucus of both chambers went and had another discussion, a kind of build- up on the security situation. And I think we need to be serious.
Should Abaribe be in prison for not producing Nnamdi Kanu?
“I see someone as Abaribe is leader in the senate championing that. Yes there are many flaws. He bailed Kanu Nnamdi and during the ENDSARS, we knew what happened.
“Kanu then was the one who was asking for the heads of Tinubu, destroy this, destroy that in the nation. But we have allowed him. He knew what happened to Ndume. Ndume, for bailing Maina, was taken to prison for not producing him but we allowed this man to go as opposition person.
“What is happening sir I think there is need for us as a system to change our tactics. It is not about opposition. If you are going to do opposition, do opposition that is right and also be part of the solution to problems.
“I think our privilege has been breached. There was complete wrong information and it is deliberate and that is why I am citing the issue of what I have seen the minority leader in the senate has done, with all of them sitting behind you. Ordinarily for failing to produce Kanu Nnamdi he should be in prison, just like Ndume was taken to prison.”
Responding to Wase, Uzoma Nkem Abonta, said there was already a judicial decision on the matter and wondered why it should be brought up at all.
“The man mentioned is my senator. There is a judicial decision on this. Are we trying to arrogate ourselves judicial powers as to when you cannot produce someone who you bailed.
“It was canvassed up to appeal. Is it an offense to bail somebody? If you bail somebody you produce him subject to there is no interference.
“The last contact the man in question had was with the military. The Senator who bailed the man was going to court regularly. The senator did not default. He was called to show cause and he showed cause successfully. Why is it a point of reference in the parliament?
Credit: The Nation