He added that is it unprecedented and wrong to replace APC unconstitutionality with junta democracy, adding that they cannot support any process that removes so many people from parliament as it has never occurred before in our parliament.
“Our abstention is not in objection to the Speaker; our objection is to the process. The constitution is clear; all members should be here. The Standing Orders are clear, all members should be here,” Dr. Yumkella said when speaking to AYV.
He also noted that in principle they cannot support or participate in validating a process that is being used against the constitution as they were elected by people from the different constituencies to represent them in parliament.
According to Dr. Yumkella two absentees out of 112 from the previous parliament is insignificant to the 68 absentees out of 146, noting that when half of the parliamentarians are absent, it is wrong and that besides, parliament is a sacred house for troops of police to enter and remove elected MPs in large numbers.
“Everybody knows that I am not a friend or a sympathizer of the APC because I have been a victim of the APC. But for police to forcibly remove people in parliament is wrong for democracy and I cannot support that,” Dr. Yumkella said.
