Nigeria Content Online

The House of Representatives, on
Tuesday, readmitted another suspended member, Doris Uboh (PDP, Delta)
to the House as part of a gradual reintegration of the sanctioned
‘progressive’ lawmakers back into the House. Gbenga Oduwaye (PDP, Ogun)
and Austin Nwachukwu (PDP, Imo), who were also on suspension, were
pardoned last week. They attended yesterday’s plenary session. Also in
attendance were arrowheads of the group, Dino Melaye, Independence
Ogunewe, Solomon Awhinawhi, Abas Anas Adamu and Bitrus Kaze.

Messrs Melaye and Awhinawhi had, last
week, stormed the House’s chamber during a plenary session to enforce a
court ruling that their suspension was illegal, prompting deputy
speaker, Usman Nafada, to announce that the House was a law-abiding
institution and would therefore respect the decision of the court. It
was, however, gathered that the presence of Mr. Melaye and the others,
led to the temporary delay of the commencement of the plenary session
as the chamber was locked for about an hour allegedly to prevent them
from going in. But the doors to the chambers were opened at about
11.15pm after some of the lawmakers, who were hanging around the lobby,
expressed their anger over the development.

Obeying the court

In announcing the re-admittance of Ms.
Uboh, who had also gone to court to challenge her suspension, Mr.
Nafada, in the course of making the day’s announcements, informed
members that: “I received a communication in my office this morning on
the case by Doris Uboh that the Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled
that she be recalled back to the House. Uboh is hereby re-admitted.”

The lawmakers were suspended in June after they accused the leadership
of the House of corruption and threatened to remove the Speaker, Dimeji
Bankole if he did not resign as demanded. The lawmakers were forced out
of the House during a fracas at a plenary and were indefinitely
suspended by their colleagues. They has struggled most of last week to
have the judgment of the court overturning their suspension accepted by
the House leadership.