The Nigerian House of Representatives has denied allegations of a rift between Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, as well as claims of bribery for committee placements.
In a statement, House Spokesperson Rep Akin Rotimi said: “That the action taken by the House to dissolve the Ad Hoc Committee on Oil and Gas Investigation did not contravene any rule of the House or any law of the land;
“That at no time did the House leadership or anybody for that matter received inducement for the appointment of any committee chairman. It was an assignment diligently executed by the Selection Committee of the House between June and July 2023, which has a member from each of the states of the federation;
“That there is no rift whatsoever between the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker regarding this or any matter; the duo enjoys a robust and cordial relationship. The two Presiding Officers also have mutual respect for each other, and will not allow anything to come between them.
“The public should therefore disregard the speculations making the round in some sections of the media”.
Rotimi emphasized that the dissolution of the Joint Adhoc Committee on Midstream and Downstream Petroleum was in line with the 1999 constitution and House standing rules, aimed at ensuring an effective and independent investigation. He stressed that committee chairmen were appointed through a diligent process by the Selection Committee, with no inducements involved.
The House urged the public to verify facts through appropriate channels before publishing stories and implored journalists to always crosscheck their facts before going to press, “with information that are nothing but falsehoods dished out as stories”.
The House reiterated the cordial relationship between the two Presiding Officers and peace amongst Members, stressing that it operates an open-door policy and remains open to the Nigerian public and the media regarding its activities.
