MPs Move Against Deputy Speaker Nafada

ABUJA, April 21, (THEWILL) - The crisis in the House of Representatives may be far from being over as members loyal to Speaker Dimeji Bankole are now pushing for the removal of Deputy Speaker Usman Nafada over alleged involvement in the N2.3 billion car purchase scandal rocking the House.

Nafada has been invited for questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the issue.

It was learnt that the pro Bankole lawmakers are calling for the Deputy Speaker’s head following his alleged support towards the moves to remove the Speaker by the Nigeria First Forum, (NFF) a splinter group in the House opposed to the Bankole’s leadership.

The group it was learnt had planned to stop Nafada from presiding over Wednesday’s sitting following his implication by newspaper reports on the matter.

Nafada has been presiding over the affairs of the House as Bankole is still stranded in London due to flight cancelations following the volcanic ash emission in Europe.

The anti Nafada moves it was learnt forced the House to go into a 50 minutes executive session during which the leadership of the House pleaded for calm to enable the legislators carry on with the scheduled debate on the Review of the Constitution.

It was gathered that the lawmakers opposed to Nafada had insisted that unless the move to oust Bankole is shelved, a similar move against the Deputy Speaker would be launched in the House.

They were said to have maintained that the Deputy Speaker would also be culpable in any offence the Speaker could be accused of.