Tambuwal is not a Speaker, address him as ‘Alhaji’ – IG of Police
insisted that it is wrong to address Aminu Tambuwal, as
the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The police boss simply addressed him as "Alhaji Aminu
Tambuwal", a title that provoked members of the House
Committee on Police Affairs.
According to the IG, it would be "subjudice" for him to
address Tambuwal as speaker or any matter relating to
him so long as such a matter was in court.
Chairman of the House committee, Mr. Usman Bello-
Kurmo, asked him a direct question, "Is Aminu Waziri-
Tambuwal the Speaker of the House of Representatives
or not?"
The IG replied, "Mr. Chairman, you know that matters
before the courts are subjudice.
"Commenting on them is subjudice until they are
disposed of."
This, however, brought the session between Abba and
the committee to an abrupt end, as the two parties
stormed out of the venue.
The committee, acting on a House resolution, had
summoned Abba to explain why the police shut the
gates of the National Assembly against lawmakers on
Thursday last week.
During the shutout, Tambuwal and many lawmakers
were barred from entering by the police, resulting in
violent reactions by the members.
However, speaking on what transpired last week, the IG
justified the police action.
He maintained that all those the police restrained from
entering the National Assembly were "thugs."
Rather than admitting that his men threw tear gas
canisters at lawmakers, he claimed that "a tear gas
canister exploded."
Abba also told lawmakers to their faces that it was his
men who suffered physical assault and not the
lawmakers.
He said, "The police management and particularly my
own person, I was traumatised by what I saw happened
to police officers that day.
"What happened was unprecedented worldwide;
policemen were physically beaten and disobeyed,
among other things that happened."
He claimed that the police shut the National Assembly
for security reasons after the Force Headquarters
received intelligence that Rivers State Governor, Mr.
Rotimi Amaechi, and All Progressives Congress
supporters were going to attack the legislature and
other public offices on November 20.
According to him, a day earlier on the 19th, the
"leadership" of the APC, Amaechi and party members
had blocked the Force Headquarters in Abuja, "where
they made uncomplimentary statements and
threatened to do worse (things) in the days ahead."
Among the places he claimed would have been attacked
by the APC members and Amaechi were the
Presidential Villa and the headquarters of the
Independent National Electoral Commission.
He added, "The procedure was orderly until the arrival
of Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and his men with quite a
number of suspected thugs to disrupt the security
arrangements.
"Unfortunately, a tear gas canister exploded at the gate;
the situation is unfortunate and it is being investigated."
Two members of the committtee, Hakeem Munir and
Victor Nwokolo, asked him to retract his earlier
comment and address Tambuwal with his official title,
but Abba refused.
With members threatening to walk out of the meeting if
Abba would not recognise Tambuwal as the Speaker,
Bello-Kurmo called off the session abruptly.
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