Ihedioha Steps in As Acting Speaker

Fri, May 29, 2015

By publisher

2 MIN READ

Political Briefs

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EMEKA Ihedioha was formally sworn-in as speaker of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 27. He took over from Aminu Tambuwal, who stepped down from the post on Tuesday, May 26, and handed over to Ihedioha. Tambuwal relinquished his post because he has been elected as governor of Sokoto State and expected to be sworn-in on Friday, May 29.

The former speaker said he had to give up the post in order to avoid creating a vacuum even though there was no mention of steps to be taken in the constitution in the occurrence of such development.

He told reporters that the House, at an executive session creatively resolved the issue by asking Ihedioha, his erstwhile deputy, to act as the speaker though in his position as the deputy speaker.

The current Seventh Assembly expires on June 6.

Tambuwal announced that a motion will come up to suspend Order II Rule 9 which insists that a new Speaker must be elected if there is vacancy in the office of the speaker.

The Order reads: “Whenever a vacancy has occurred in the office of the Speaker or Deputy Speaker during a session, the Clerk shall report same to the House at its next sitting and the House shall either forthwith or at its next sitting, proceed to the election of a new Speaker in the manner herein before provided.”

— Jun 8, 2015 @ 01:00 GMT