Interference: We can only obey judiciary if we choose to – Reps

Rift between the legislative and judicial arms of the federal government may further widen, as the House of Representatives yesterday vowed to part ways with the latter, if it continues to interfere with its legislative functions.
The court, had at separate rulings issued an order stopping a committee of the House from investigating the circumstances surrounding the controversial call to bar denial against one Ms. Frdaos Amass over her refusal to remove Hijjab, and also restraining the National Assembly from overriding President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto on the Electoral Act amendment Bill.
Reacting to the developments yesterday, following a motion moved on the matter by Hon. Abdulrazak Atunwa, Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara said, “It is now obvious that some power somewhere, is intimidating the judiciary to gag us and that cannot stop us from carrying out our constitutional duties.
“Th is is the House of the people, the judiciary has no power to dictate to us on what to do.
We make laws and they cannot.
We have tolerated the judiciary enough and if they continue like this, then we are headed for more trouble.
We can only obey the judiciary if we choose to,” he said.
Earlier, Atunwa had observed that “further breach of the legislative privileges Act was perpetrated when the said lawyer came to this very House within the precincts of this hallowed chamber to serve the clerk with the injunction”, which he noted was a clear violation of section 23(a) of the Act.
The House finally resolved therefore to write a strongly worded letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, to take immediate steps towards ensuring that judges respect and preserve the sanity and sovereignty of parliament, and its independence, as well as to set up a committee headed by the leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, to take the issue up.