Labour Party sues lawmakers over bill

The national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Dan Nwanyanwu said on Sunday that the party will head for court to challenge the proposed bill making members of the National Assembly members of the national executive committee (NEC), once it is passed into law.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Mr Nwanyanwu said the party has already contacted its lawyers to seek redress in court and that the court processes are being drafted."We will challenge in court , we can't afford to fold our hands and see this bill passed into law,these lawmakers are just arrogant , they only want to allocate more powers to themselves." he said.

The LP boss wondered why the federal lawmakers are desperate in processing legislation that is self-serving and that will not stand the test of time.Mr Nwanyanwu said, "You will recall we told them and drew their attention to the fact that for any act of the National Assembly to become law must have presidential assent, including alterations and amendments to the Nigerian Constitution, they said no, but they now know better, the court nullify their position. Though they have appealed but they won't go far. "This present NASS is the worst ever, what baffles us most is that the NASS is headed by a highly experienced and successful military general who has served this country in different capacities, as a military man, even as a minister. For all these illegalities to happen under his nose is most unfortunate. Probably it is so because of the way and manner they all got elected.

"We can forgive Bankole as the Speaker, who is a young man who just came back from abroad without any work experience in Nigeria, but suddenly found himself in a position of the speaker. The man that should have guided him and give him direction is also involved in all these."

Beyond comparison

He said the present crop of federal legislators cannot be compared to those of the Second Republic. According to him, Abraham Adesanya,Wali, Nathaniel Anah, Basil Okwu, David Dafinone, Olusola Saraki, John Wash Pam and others were great senators who had the interest of the country at heart unlike the current ones.

Mr Nwayanwu, however, said it is not too late for the lawmakers to withdraw the bill, saying, "It is not too late for the present NASS leadership to retrace their steps and do the right thing, which is the most honourable thing for them because this path they are towing will put them on the wrong side of history."