TENSION, verbal abuse and near-degeneration into fisticuffs marked a debate by the House of Representatives on the absence and health status of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua yesterday.
But unlike the Senate, the House of Representatives, for the second time in two weeks, failed to demand a letter of vacation from Yar'Adua. The Nigerian leader is spending the third month in a hospital in Saudi Arabia.
With a few voices of dissent, which were not even heard by the House leadership, the members through a voice vote stopped a motion seeking to compel Yar'Adua to, within two weeks, transmit a letter to the National Assembly on his absence.
But the Senate appears relentless in its efforts to resolve the riddle over Yar'Adua's continued absence from office for three months.
Today, the Upper House will attempt to find out whether Yar'Adua actually transmitted a letter on his vacation to the Legislature that was allegedly not delivered by a presidential aide.
Also yesterday, Senate President David Mark on the floor of the Upper House announced a meeting of all Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators to address Yar'Adua's dilemma.
At the Lower House, the first sign that all was not well came even before the plenary session began. Two members from the South-South zone, Igo Aguma and Henry Dickson, exchanged hot words as they entered the chamber for the session. It got to a stage where Aguma passed through Dickson's raining insults on him and other colleagues.
Shortly after that, the Speaker's procession entered the chamber and when he (Dimeji Bankole) called for the chamber's prayers, the echoes of members confirmed that the House was in for a rowdy session.
When the session started, Sani Abdul from Bauchi State raised a point of order on matters of privilege. He said that as a Nigerian, the tension in the country over the leadership vacuum had affected him and his constituents. He submitted that the situation was a breach of his privileges and those of his constituents. Sani said the House set up a team that was supposed to visit Yar'Adua in Saudi and report back but that had not been done.
Bankole asked the leader of that delegation and Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Alhaji Baba Shehu Agaie, to brief the House and he said they had procured visas and would leave for Saudi yesterday.
Other lawmakers, including Henry Dickson, cited Order 5 of the standing rules of the House and argued that their privileges had been breached because the leadership of the House failed to make available copies of the letters presented by various groups to the House on the issue of the health of the President.
Bankole directed that copies of the letters and all the court judgments on the matter be made available to members without delay.
Then Sani Abdul raised a constitutional order but Bankole asked him to raise a motion using the right channel. Emmanuel Jimeh from Benue State also raised Order 9 (1) 6, saying that the matter had been ruled upon by the Speaker and should not be revisited until the delegation to Saudi returns.
Abdul Ningi pleaded with the House to allow Sani to raise his motion. The speaker obliged him.
Aminu Tambuwal said Sani had raised the issue and should be allowed to move the motion and let the matter be put to rest. But Ike Chinwo said since a delegation had been mandated and the committee had expressed its readiness to travel to Saudi Arabia, the matter should not be debated until the team returns.
Finally, Sani moved the motion and asked Yar'Adua to comply with section 145 by transmitting a letter to the National Assembly. He added that the President's absence had generated tension in the country. "The President should comply with the constitution within two weeks."
It was seconded by Anas Adamu. Bankole asked Sani to continue and there was a wild reaction from the members. Some protested that the matter be rested.
Some lawmakers observed that those thinking that by transmitting the letter to the National Assembly Yar'Adua would be transferring powers to the Vice President were wrong.
Speaking against the motion, Ningi said Nigeria as a nation is at the crossroads and should be guided by the constitution and the rules of the House. He appealed to members to realise the role of the parliament. The lawmaker advised that the matter be referred to the Executive arm of government based on the principle of separation of powers. He said section 145 deals with transmission of a letter by the Executive to the National Assembly. He consequently advised that it is not the duty of the parliament to tell the Executive to transmit the letter.
Femi Gbajabiamila said: "It is a fact that the President has been away for three months just as it is a fact that the Vice President, Senate President and the Speaker have not seen him. The motion is not asking us to compel the President to transmit the letter."
Bankole drew his attention to the prayers of the motion, which sought to give the President two weeks to transmit the letter, which amounted to compelling him.
Mohammed Ali Ndume, who also spoke against the motion, urged members to respect the constitution. He added that the Executive Council presided over by the Vice President came up with a resolution that the President is still fit to perform his duties.
The Speaker put the question and member overwhelmingly voted against the motion through a voice vote.
A drama took place as a member from Imo State, Independence Ogunlewe, who struggled to speak against the motion but was not recognised by the Speaker before the voice vote, was sighted chasing a member from Kano State, Ado Dogo. Ogunlewe towards the end of the debate stood up even when not recognised and was making an attempt to speak.
After the voice vote, Dogo was said to have jokingly told Ogunlewe that if he did not take time, the chamber would still suspend him. This, according to members close to them, made Ogunlewe who was suspended for one month last year, to attempt to fight his colleague.
Expected to meet the Senate on the letter purportedly written by Yar'Adua on his ill-health to the lawmakers is the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba Aji. He is to appear before the Senate today to explain his role on the non-transmission of the said letter, which was based on Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.
The 91 senators were billed to meet last night in the official residence of the Senate President David Mark for what sources described as part of efforts to reduce the onslaught on the party's controlled presidency in the Upper House.
Most of the lawmakers pushing for the President to transmit a letter to the Assembly are on the platform of the PDP.
Mark had announced the meeting on the floor of the Senate yesterday just as he said that Aji would meet with the lawmakers at noon today.
A national newspaper (not The Guardian) had reported early December that Aji had got a letter from the President but turned back on his way to the President on reading the content. He was said to have discouraged Yar'Adua from sending the letter.
Aji has however denied the story but the heat was turned on him when a top government official told senators that the letter was indeed written but could not explain why it was not delivered.
The Guardian had however learnt that some close personal aides were the ones whose bidding Aji carried out in failing to submit the letter.
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