Drama as Rep decries ‘incantations’ during House inauguration

A member of the House of Representatives, Solomon Bob (PDP/Rivers), has criticised his colleagues for reciting what he called “spiritual incantations” during the election of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House on Tuesday.

As the House was considering a motion of urgent public importance by the outgoing Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the plenary on Wednesday, Bob raised a point of order to decry how members-elect made spiritual comments when the election was going on.

The 10th National Assembly was inaugurated on Tuesday during which members-elect of the Senate and the House elected presiding officers of the respective chambers before they were sworn in.

Bob said, “This point of order is pursuant to Section 10 of our Constitution and Order 6, Rules 1 and 4 of our Standing Orders. Mr Speaker, I watched with dismay yesterday, the conduct of our members who were prefacing their requirement to vote with…”

The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, interjected him, saying, “Honourable colleague, is your point of order relevant to this particular motion or it is different?”

While Bob replied that “it is different,” the Speaker urged him to allow the lawmakers to conclude the ongoing process. “Please, you may sit down. Let us first of all adopt this particular motion and then you can take your own later,” he said.

After Gbajabiamila’s motion was taken, Bob said, “I said I watched with dismay yesterday as member-after-member rose and cited what I will call religious incantations and prefacing their comments yesterday regarding voting with religious incantations.

“We are enjoined not to adopt any state religion, by our Constitution…Section 10. And we as key members of the government are not allowed to espouse or encourage espousal of any religion or religious approach…”

Abbas interjected again, saying, “Honourable colleague, I will want to implore you to step down this particular issue to allow one important issue to be done and then we can revisit it. If you can kindly do me that favour, please step it down. I will call you later to re-present the issue.”

Another member of the House, Fred Agbedi (PDP/Bayelsa), screamed ‘point of order, Mr Speaker,” several times without Abbas recognising him to speak.

Our correspondent observed that several members when called upon to declare whom they were voting for among the three speakership candidates, started by saying, “In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” or “Auzubillah Minashaitan Nirajeem,” with some adding, “Bismillah Rahmani Rahim.” A member from Oyo State made his entire speech in Yoruba to declare his vote for Abbas.