The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Patricia Etteh, will on Tuesday (today) know her fate as her feuding colleagues resume sitting after a �forced� break.
Etteh had on October 23 unilaterally adjourned the sitting of the House amid insistence by members of the Integrity Group that she must vacate her seat for a Speaker pro-tempore to be elected.
As at press time on Monday, the two factions in the House (IG and Etteh�s loyalists) had not reached a consensus on how to conduct debate on the report of David Idoko Panel.
The panel had looked into the N628m contract scam in the House and indicted the Speaker and some principal officers.
Although the Speaker had last week agreed to step aside for a chairman pro-tempore to preside over discussion on the report, there were indications that the Peoples Democratic Party might �guide� its lawmakers to appoint a Speaker pro-tempore.
A statement by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Mr. Dino Melaye, claimed that Etteh�s supporters had consented that a Speaker pro-tempore be �appointed.�
Melaye told journalists after a meeting the PDP had with Etteh�s supporters and the IG on Monday, that the two camps were directed to present one name each for the post.
�Yes, it is true that we have all agreed to that,� he said.
But the Leader of the IG, Mr. Farouk Lawan, said he was not aware of any such agreement.
He said, �Mock election? I am not aware of that, and I hope people are not trying to make a mockery of our democracy. We must follow our rules and the party is aware of that.�
The PDP leaders at the meeting included the National Chairman (South), Chief Chief Bode George; the National Vice-Chairman (South-West), Chief Yinka Omilani; and the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Imeh Udom.
But another meeting the PDP was to hold with its lawmakers in the House on Monday was called off following what a source called poor attendance.
No fewer than 100 lawmakers had arrived at the party�s secretariat and waited till 4pm for the meeting which was scheduled to begin at 2pm.
When the Leader of the House, Mr. Tunde Akogun, walked into the conference room to inform them that the meeting had been shifted till 9am on Tuesday (today), they protested vehemently.
They alleged that they suspected that the PDP was plotting to force members of the House to elect Speaker pro-tempore outside their chamber.
Lawan, who advised the PDP leadership to take notice that the House commences sitting on Tuesday, said their loyalty was first to the nation and not the party.
He said, �Our sitting is for 10am and I think the party should appreciate that we have a constitutional responsibility to this country and we should not delay our sitting. We can still come here for a brief meeting before going for our sitting.
�The party might have decided that out of about 240 PDP members that are in the House, only about 100 were present. You know that the issue to be discussed is so crucial that we need a larger number of our people here.�
Other members of the IG � Ms Lynda Ikpeazu, Mr. Teagu Tsegba and Halims Agoda � who protested against a fresh meeting on Tuesday, said it was a subtle attempt by the PDP to impose a Speaker pro-tempore on the House.
They maintained that such a process was laughable, illegal and unconstitutional.
They argued that the election of the Speaker was always done on the floor of the House and vowed to elect one on Tuesday.
Ikpeazu said, �The party said that a Speaker pro-tempore will be elected at the party headquarters. This is not acceptable to us. This is a party that advocates due process. We agreed that we are not going to the PDP secretariat for that.�
Agoda said the anti-Etteh camp had resolved to hold the election of a Speaker pro-tempore devoid of elements of suspicion, and through the rules of the House and the 1999 Constitution.
He argued that electing a Speaker outside the chamber was not within the contemplation of the Constitution or the House rule.
According to him, the House comprises other political parties and a representation of Nigeria and not the PDP alone.
Tsegba said, �The office of Speaker pro-tempore is not a Speaker of a political party, but a Speaker of the House.
�We are also looking at the implication of electing a Speaker without the mace.
�Moving the election to the PDP is to force a pro-Etteh Speaker to consider the report, which is what we have been trying to avoid.
�So, we are resolute in electing the Speaker pro-tempore on the floor of the House, so that the person will have the legitimacy to perform the functions of the Speaker.�
Agoda lamented that the party failed to criticise the pro-Etteh camp for taking some of their colleagues to court over the debate of the Idoko report.
�They took it with grace as if it was a pre-conceived plan. Our group feels that the party knew about it. We have to take our destiny in our hands. So, we have to go to the House and do what Nigerians want us to do,� he said.
According to Tsegba, the decision of the IG to shun the Tuesday morning meeting with the party is not tantamount to disrespecting the PDP.
A party meeting, he reasoned, should not override the sitting of the House.
But just as the arguments were raging, George sauntered in, accompanied by Omilani and Udom.
When accosted by newsmen, he refused to speak. But when further prodded, he said, �Everything is calm. All is well. We will meet tomorrow (Tuesday).�
Both camps to the fray continued their separate meetings on Monday night ahead of Tuesday�s session.
The anti-Etteh lawmakers had claimed on Sunday that it had collected 212 signatures for her impeachment and expressed optimism that the figure would increase by Tuesday.
Also former members of the House (1999 to 2007) who are deeply concerned over the logjam in the House met on Monday night at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, in an attempt to reach a common position on the impasse.
It was gathered that two former Speakers � Alhaji Ghali Na�Abba and Mallam Aminu Masari � were the masterminds of the parley.
The former lawmakers are expected to make their position known on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have reiterated their resolve to carry out an anti-Etteh rally on Tuesday (today).
The Acting NLC President, Mrs. Ladi Iliya, and the TUC President, Mr. Peter Esele, said the march would take off from the NLC Labour House at 8am.
They added that the peaceful rally would also involve different civil society and professional organisations.
The unions reaffirmed their resolve to sustain the agitation against the Speaker well beyond tomorrow�s protest.
They reiterated their commitment to the war against corruption.
They also called on the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police Force not to disrupt the action, as doing that would merely indicate that the administration condoned corruption and its perpetrators.
Oct302007