How House of Reps descended into chaos yesterday over Katsina legislators

Trouble broke out on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday after eight members, whose appointment was reconfirmed by the Court of Appeal last week, invaded the legislative house seeking to reclaim their seats.

[READ: Court of Appeal orders 10 Katsina legislators to vacate seats]

It soon deteriorated into a free-for-all when their request to be immediately sworn in was refused by stakeholders in the house.

The leadership of the House insisted on maintaining status quo until the Supreme Court had ruled on the matter but this didn’t go down well with the reinstated legislators.

Premium Times reports

The leadership said the eight prospective members, all members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, and now All Progressive Congress, APC, can only be given the mandate if the Supreme Court decides on the matter.

But within the chambers, the new entrants were tackled by some lawmakers before the clash was immediately brought under control as they were later evicted.

One member of the group that won at the court, Murktar Dan-Dutse, said the move was a “conspiracy” to buy time, as the decision of the court, being “declaratory” cannot be delayed while an appeal-in this case to the Supreme Court- is filed.

“They want to buy time because time is against us,” Mr. Dan-Dutse said.

The journey to the National Assembly for the eight lawmakers, and two others at the senate, has been long and tortuous.

They were first declared winners of the 2011 election and sworn into the two chambers. Following a Supreme Court ruling December 2011, their Certificates of Return, were withdrawn by the Independent National Electoral Commission, in favour of those currently occupying the seat.

They current occupants are Senators Abubakar Yar’adua and Hadi Sirika, House of Reps members Ahmed Babba Kaita, Salisu Salisco, Umar Abubakar, Salisu Daura, Isa Doro, Sani Mashi, Abbas Machika and Mansur Funtua.

Those sacked in 2011, and declared winners last week by the Court of Appeal, who turned up Wednesday, are, Senators Abdu Umar Yandoma and Ahmad Sani Stores; House of Reps members, Murtala Isa, Muntari Dandutse, Musa Salisu, Aminu Ashiru and Umar Adamu Katsayal, Muhammad Tukur, Tasi’u Doguro, and Abdu Dankama.

After the INEC decision sacking them in December of 2011, they challenged the decision at a High Court which ruled that the electoral commission misinterpreted the judgment of the Supreme