19th September, 2014
The Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to step up action ahead of 2015 elections against politicians who violate the country’s electoral laws
Tambuwal made the call when the President of the NBA, Mr Augustine Alegeh, visited him on Thursday in Abuja.
He expressed concern that in spite of repeated warnings by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), some politicians had commenced campaigns before the stipulated time.
According to the speaker, good governance is suffering as politicians abandon their responsibilities for politicking ahead of time.
Tambuwal said that insecurity and corruption were on the increase in the country and called on all Nigerians to join hands in the fight against the social ills.
“The problem is that some politicians are already in election mood, so the NBA should call the attention of those politicians to stop forthwith,” he added.
The speaker, however, condemned fears by some citizens on the possibility of conducting peaceful elections amidst security challenges confronting the country.
“I firmly believe that we can go into elections in 2015; elections in 2015 should be held. What we need to do is to address insurgency before the elections and encourage soldiers to do the needful,” he said.
Tambuwal said that the house was committed to passing the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) before the politicking took the centre stage.
Earlier, Alegeh urged the speaker to expedite action to ensure the speedy passage of the PIB and the Justice Sector Bill.
“The PIB should be given speedy hearing. I urge you to put it in the front burner, let it serve as a legacy for you,” Alegeh said.