Abuja – After eight weeks of recess, the two arms of the National Assembly on Tuesday failed to resume plenary following the death of a serving member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Elijah Oluwatayo (APC-Lagos).
The aborted resumption was to mark the beginning of the second legislative year of the 8th assembly.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara while reading a letter from the family of the deceased said Oluwatayo died on July 20, 2016 at the age of 66.
Dogara also announced the death of three other former members of the House of Representatives: Messers Muhammed Useni, Alex Eze and Etim Atakpa.
Useni represented Makrafi Federal Constituency of Kaduna from 1999 to 2003 while Eze represented Nsukka Igboeze Federal Constituency of Enugu within the same period.
Atakpa represented Esan Federal constituency of Akwa Ibom from 1992 to 1993 on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention.
“Because a serving member is involved and as the tradition of the House demands we have to adjourn sitting till Wednesday to honour the deceased,’’ Dogara said.
The House of Representatives has recorded four deaths since inauguration in June 2015.
