Opposing views as Speaker, lawmakers move to pass vote of confidence on Tinubu
Some members of the House of Representatives are planning to move a motion to pass a vote of confidence on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.
The move is allegedly being spearheaded by Honourable Phillip Agbese representing Ado/ Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency with the support of the Speaker Rt Honourable Tajudeen Abbas, the Deputy Speaker and Honourable James Faleke amongst others.
Sources said the motion has the support of no fewer than one hundred and seventy-four members.
However, there is a strong opposition against this move which is likely to pitch the parliament against the people of Nigeria who are going through severe economic hardship at the moment.
Members who are opposed to this move are of the view that with the Nigerian Labour Congress set to carry out a protest to ventilate their grievance against the downturn in the economy, it would be insensitive on the part of the parliament to move a vote of confidence on the very day this protest is set to commence.
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According to some members, “The optics is bad. With a bag of rice selling at seventy thousand naira, a bag of cement selling as high as thirteen thousand naira, prices of food stuffs and medicine skyrocketing, this is not a good time to move such a motion.”
Others are of the view that Nigeria runs a presidential system of government and therefore a vote of confidence which obtains in a parliamentary system like United Kingdom is not only inappropriate but conceptually flawed.
Another set of members who are opposed to the move are of the view that even if the motion should be moved, the House could tarry a while to allow tension settle. They are of the view that the motion is premature and could further aggravate political tension as protests had erupted in many parts of Nigeria in the past few weeks.
Some members are also citing the example that in Lagos last week there was a report that seven people died at the Customs Office at Yaba where a stampede broke out over the sharing of a bag of rice at ten thousand naira. This underscores the dire nature of the economy.
It is also believed that constituents are becoming more politically conscious and the motion could adversely affect the electoral fortunes of members in future elections.
Others who are opposed to the move are saying that they believe that with time President Tinubu would turn things around but for now a vote of confidence would not only be counterproductive but could provide avoidable excuses that could further aggravate protests across the country.
