N2.3BN CAR SCAM: PDP backs Bankole •Warns House members not to join anti-Speaker group •Opponents file litigation against him

Written by Idowu Samuel and Lanre Adewole
Wednesday, 16 June 2010

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday admonished its members in the House of Representatives not to identify with those plotting to destabilise the House,

more so as preparations have started for the next general election.

The PDP said it was unhappy that some members of the House of Representatives were plotting to remove the Speaker at a critical moment in Nigeria’s quest for Electoral Reform. It said the National Assembly should rather hold the issue of constitution amendment paramount.

The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Professor Alkali Ahmed Rufai, in a press statement, condemned the plot to remove the speaker, stating that the party was worried about the negative consequences of the plot on democracy.

The PDP statement read: “We view the attempts by some members to destabilise the leadership of the House of Representatives at this point in time when the nation is gearing up for the forthcoming general election as diversionary and out of sync with the current efforts of President Goodluck Jonathan, (GCFR), in stabilising the system.

“Indeed, what the people expect from the National Assembly are not drumbeats of war but a speedy conclusion of issues involving constitutional amendments, electoral reforms and purposeful legislation for the good governance of the country.

“While we maintain our principles of probity and accountability in public office, we are also not unmindful of the negative consequences of an unstable National Assembly.”

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party thus called on PDP members in the House to immediately dissociate themselves from the plot against Bankole, just as it called on members in general to refrain from making inflammatory statements capable of heating up the polity, urging them not to create an atmosphere of instability and uncertainty within the legislative arm.

Meanwhile, the anti-Bankole members who last week issued an ultimatum for the Speaker to resign have taken a step further in their plot against him as an Abuja-based lawyer, Nkereuwem Udofia Akpan, filed a suit against him and eight others on the N2.3 billion car scam which has been rocking the lower chamber of the National Assembly since 2007.

The suit, with reference number FHC/ABJ/CS/409/2010, is seeking an Order of Mandamus from the court compelling EFCC to drag Bankole, as well as Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria Limited to a court of competent jurisdiction over alleged involvement in the scam.

Those joined in the suit also include the House of Representatives, Peugeot Automobile, ICPC, Inspector General of Police, Attorney-General of the Federation, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, as 1st to 10th defendants respectively.

In a swift response, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mr Idowu Bakare, berated the attempt to drag his principal to court on the basis of what he described as overrehearsed story by certain members, adding that the plot would fail.

Bakare said the attempt at introducing the court into the breakdown of confidence among members amounted to orchestrated blackmail, which, according to him, had been dogging the House leadership since the past two years.

He said, “We do not have any problem whatsoever with that. The only concern now is the orchestrated target at the EFCC by these desperados. But they will surely fail.”