“There was no pressure on the Speaker to sack the defected legislators. If there was, we would not have held the closed door session today, he said.
He explained that they were nominal parties in the suit by virtue of their office and the counsel was briefed by the Management of the National Assembly to represent the House of Representatives as an institution.
Ogene clarified that the executive session was convoked by the leadership to create room for the legislators to talk among themselves and “and there was nothing unusual.” “We talked to ourselves in order to get things clear about the defection matter that is already in court.
“The House has decided to allow the case in court to take its full course, taking cognizance of the precedence already set in such area.” The deputy spokesman explained that an on-going court in the case involving Hon. Bamidele Opeyemi (Ekiti) who defected from the APC to Labour Party (LP) was pending, yet Opeyemi’s seat has not been declared vacant.
Ogene said the executive session also deliberated on the growing tendency towards partisanship among members during plenary, saying the green chamber took a unanimous decision to set aside party affiliations and make laws for the good of Nigerians. Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, has said he did not file any appeal against the judgement as reported by some sections of the media yesterday.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Oke Epia, he complained that the reports created a wrong impression that he was against the interest of the PDP. Part of the statement reads, “For the avoidance of doubt, the Deputy Speaker wishes to clarify that he is just a nominal party in the suit by virtue of his office and counsel was briefed by the management of the National Assembly to represent the House of Representatives as an institution.
“The appeal was primarily instituted by the members who defected from the PDP to the APC.”
Ogene said the executive session also deliberated on the growing tendency towards partisanship among members during plenary, saying the green chamber took a unanimous decision to set aside party affiliations and make laws for the good of Nigerians. Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, has said he did not file any appeal against the judgement as reported by some sections of the media yesterday.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Oke Epia, he complained that the reports created a wrong impression that he was against the interest of the PDP. Part of the statement reads, “For the avoidance of doubt, the Deputy Speaker wishes to clarify that he is just a nominal party in the suit by virtue of his office and counsel was briefed by the management of the National Assembly to represent the House of Representatives as an institution.
“The appeal was primarily instituted by the members who defected from the PDP to the APC.”
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