Solomon Bob, a member of the House Of Representatives (PDP, Rivers) is faced with a possible suspension following a heated verbal exchange with Deputy Speaker Ben Kalu during Tuesday’s House of Representatives plenary session.
Kalu and Bob, a respected member, found themselves in an altercation during the discussion of a motion regarding Nigeria’s Independence Day celebration.
He rebuked the deputy speaker, who was in charge of the session, for what he perceived as a hindrance to certain members’ ability to join the discussion.
During the debate, Kalu argued that the House could not feasibly grant speaking time to everyone but rather had to choose a specific group.
On the other hand, Bob brought up a point of order, expressing his disillusionment with the deputy speaker for obstructing any member who wanted to speak.
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The deputy speaker’s decision to overrule the Rivers lawmaker was met with ongoing protest from the lawmaker, who remained steadfast in his objection.
‘My point of order is that this is a very important subject, and everyone that wants to speak should be allowed to speak,’ he said.
Following the incident, legislator Inuwa Garba (PDP, Garba) brought forth a motion on privilege, advocating for an apology from Bob due to his lack of respect for the presiding officer and the House.
Leveraging his background as a former speaker of Gombe State House of Assembly, Garba suggested a three-day grace period for Bob to offer an apology; otherwise, he could face a three-month suspension.
‘While the speaker was discharging his constitutional responsibilities, our colleague showed a sign of disrespect to this honourable chair and the House. Honourable Solomon Bob, in front of all the cameras, the whole world is watching said he is disappointed with the action of the speaker and the House. I think that it is unethical and unlawful.’
‘We have to show examples for others to see. I want to move that from now to the end of this week, the honourable member should come to the floor and put it in writing, apologise to the speaker, apologise to the House and all the honourable members for his action because we are here because we have a law.’
‘If he refuses, he should be suspended from all activities of the House for three months,’ Garba said.
To avert further escalation of the situation, the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), argued that the remarks made by Bob did not merit the proposed suspension advocated by Garba.
Despite his attempt to mediate, the Minority Leader’s intervention did not resolve the situation, as the deputy speaker maintained his stance, demanding that Bob issue an apology or face suspension by the House.
He pointed out that Bob, who was not present on the floor during that period, must apologize before the end of the plenary.
Bob returned to the chamber and apologised about one hour after the ultimatum had been issued, and the deputy speaker accepted his apology.