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We can’t act without speaker’s declaration – INEC
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We’ve not been properly informed – House
From Dickson S. Adama (Jos), Itodo Daniel Sule, Balarabe Alkassim & Abbas Jimoh (Abuja)
Constituents of Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency are worried over the non-replacement of their representative, Haruna Maitala who died over six months ago.
Daily Trust reports that Maitala, who is of the All Progressives Congress (APC), died on April 2 along with his son and two aides, in an auto crash along Abuja-Jos road.
Since his death, there has been no replacement and the people of his constituency have been expressing concern, saying that lack of representation has been affecting them.
The constituents are worried as to why the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has failed to declare the seat vacant as required by law to enable the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a by-election to fill the vacuum.
A member of his constituency who is from Bassa LGA, Joseph Adudu, said they have been left like orphans since they don’t have a representative at the lower legislative chamber to make a case for them.
He said what is surprising them the most is the silence from the appropriate quarters about the filling of the vacant seat, explaining that “it is strange and something could definitely be wrong somewhere.”
Adudu explained that the seat of a lawmaker from Kaduna who died recently was filled without delay, wondering why that of Bassa/Jos North federal constituency would be different.
On his part, Haruna Yusuf Abba from Jos North said it was unfortunate that the House of Representatives has not declared the Bassa/Jos North federal constituency seat vacant since Maitala’s death.
He said they feel sidelined in the House right now as many important deliberations are going on without their input, contribution or inclusion.
“It is high time for the vacuum is filled, before the next general elections in order to ensure equity and justice,” he said.
Also, Muhammad Abdulkadir, a youth activist and social media influencer from Jos North, said the situation is sad, alleging there must be a sinister motive behind the delay.
Contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, said a by-election in the event of death or resignation of a member of the national or state assembly is conducted by the commission following the declaration of vacancy by the presiding officer, that is, the President (in the case of the Senate) or Speaker (in the cases of the House of Representatives and State House of Assembly).
According to him, with reference to the Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency, the Speaker of the House of Representatives has not declared the seat vacant as he did recently in respect of the Lere Federal Constituency of Kaduna State for which a by-election was conducted by the commission on August 14, 2021.
Reacting, spokesman of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu (APC, Abia), said the family of the deceased lawmaker had not properly informed the House about his death.
“We cannot declare any deceased member’s seat vacant until his family formally informs the House about it.
“We cannot act on the news we hear or read outside the parliament. We have a procedure which must be followed before we declare any seat of a lawmaker that died vacant,” he said.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lanre Lasisi, did not respond to calls and messages sent to his phone.
