Following the raging allegations of padding the 2016 budget against some members of the leadership of the House of Representatives, the Chief Whip, Hon Ado Doguwa has vowed to sue the alleger, and former Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin for denting his reputation.
The Lawmaker accused Jibrin of seeking court protection after knowingly and falsely accusing the affected members with an intent to rubbish their hard earned reputation.
The Chief Whip in a statement in Abuja Monday described Jibrin’s latest moves as “sheer cowardice and an act of escapism”.
The statement reads; “Jibrin’s legal strategy is to deploy a judicial instrument to protect him against possible sanctions from the House over his baseless, malicious and fictitious allegations to scandalously defame and destroy our innocent personalities/integrity in the eyes of Nigerian public.
“He has also succeeded in deliberately subjecting the institution of the National Assembly to grievous disrepute and institutional damage, which apparently contravened our extant internal standing rules and specifically Section 24 and 33 of the Legislative Houses Powers and Privileges Act.
“With this clear violation of our extant internal code of legislative conduct, which must attract legislative sanctions against Jibrin, Nigerians should know that all sorts of statements and pronouncements made by Jibrin were mere sham and misrepresentations of facts. He has lost out his campaign of calumny against the House of Reps. He has also lost out with the Executive arm of government and our great party, the APC.
“Having realized that he is already consumed, he is now resorting to the court options, which I believe he would lose out as well. Our respected judiciary would never fall victim of his misrepresentations and blackmail.
“I finally want to categorically state that whichever steps the House may take on Hon Jibrin on resumption in September, I Hon Alhassan Ado Doguwa would in my personal capacity definitely charge Hon Jibrin to court for slander. He has maligned and defamed my hard-earned reputation and integrity. He has also put to disrepute my hitherto sound/credible family name. No matter what the House decides on Jibrin, I will never sleep on my responsibility to defend/protect my good name and seek redress through our conventional courts”.
