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Tag: Gbajabiamila

  • APC backs Lawan, Akume, Gbajabiamila for top posts

    APC backs Lawan, Akume, Gbajabiamila for top posts

    Why Ekweremadu should go, by Unity Forum

    All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders are backing Ahmed Lawan,  Femi Gbajabiamila,  George Akume and five others as principal officers of the National Assembly, The Nation learnt last night.

    The party has adopted the lists submitted to it by The Unity Forum (Senate) and The Loyalists (House of Representatives) to heal the wounds and reconcile all after the June 9 controversial elections.

    This has put pressure on Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

    It was learnt that more than 12 members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) supported the candidates recommended by The Unity Forum and The Loyalists.

    Those recommended by the party as principal officers in the Senate are Lawan(Majority Leader); Prof. Sola Adeyeye( Chief Whip); Sen. George Akume( Deputy Majority Leader); and Sen. Abu Ibrahim(Deputy Chief Whip).

    The list for the House of Representatives has  Gbajabiamila( House Leader); Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa( Deputy House Leader); M. T. Monguno(Chief Whip) and Hon. Pally Iriase (Deputy Chief Whip).

    A source said: “Most members of the NWC and leaders of the APC are fully in support of the lists from the Unity Forum and The Loyalists. We need to heal wounds and move forward.

    “It will only be fair and just if the aggrieved legislators are allowed to choose among themselves the principal officers.”

    The leaderships of the two groups generated lists which they sent to the APC National Chairman, who is expected to send them to the Senate President.

    Asked if the lists are binding on Saraki and Dogara, the source said: “They have no discretion in the matter; they must abide by it if they are really loyal party members.

    “It is the responsibility of the party to recommend these principal officers. In 2011, we were told that the President of the 7th Senate, Chief David Mark was not going to work with Akume as minority leader but the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria insisted on Akume.”

    None of the officers of the party was willing to speak with the press last night.

    For the first time after the crisis of confidence erupted among APC Senators Saraki and Lawan met at Oyegun’s residence to explore the possibility of reconciliation.

    A top source, who spoke in confidence, said after Oyegun sued for reconciliation, Saraki and Lawan were asked to retire into a room for “frank talks.”

    The source said: “We were all happy that Saraki and Lawan agreed to hold a tête-à-tête for the first time and we waited with bated breath for what they will agree upon.

    “Two issues were at stake: whether the party should recommend nominees for principal offices in the Senate or zonal caucuses should nominate candidates.

    “Neither of them spoke on the outcome of their talks. But we learnt they have gone back for consultations with their groups.”

    A national officer said: “The party’s decision must be respected. The party cannot sacrifice loyal members for those who conspired with PDP.

    “Look at the House, is it proper to do away with the wish of 174 APC members? Absolutely no.”

    The Unity Forum has tabled six reasons why the election of the Deputy President of the Senate Ike Ekweremadu is dangerous for the APC-led Federal Government.

    The June 21st letter reads: “It is with utmost humility and a deep sense of responsibility that we write to appraise you of the dire implications of the emergence of the PDP Senator, Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy President of the Senate at this critical time when our party should have been properly positioned in the Senate to enable the smooth take-off of this administration.

    “While doing so, we reckon the great expectation the Nigerian people have had on us as agents of change and our party manifesto as a facilitator of this breakthrough.

    “Although the tradition in the Nigerian Senate concedes much power to the Senate President, it is indeed the Deputy Senate President that directly interacts and controls the day to day activities of the Senate.

    ” Some of the functions of the office include:

    •Regularly presiding over the plenary session of Senate especially during those times the Senate President may be away attending to other functions. This could afford him and his party the opportunity to frustrate the good intentions of our government.

    •The Deputy Senate President is chairman of Constitution Review Committee, which conducts the exercise of carrying out fundamental changes in our Supreme Law. This position may give him and his party, the PDP the opportunity to frustrate necessary and vital constitutional amendments in the course of this administration.

    •By legislative convention, the Deputy Senate President collects and supervises the final budget documents in the preparation of the Appropriation Bill. This is the most important piece of legislation in the realization of our party’s manifesto which must not be left in the hands of the opposition party.

    •The Deputy Senate President is statutorily the chairman of the Governing Council of the National Institute of Leguslative Studies (NILS). This institution is charged with the responsibility of building capacity for our legislators and their supporting staff.

    •The Deputy Senate President also represents the Nigerian Legislature at the ECOWAS Parliament as Speaker. It is certainly a misnomer for a government to be represented at the international level by someone outside our party.

    •And many other functions that might be assigned him by the President of the Senate.

    “With the above functions of the Deputy Senate President, we feel extremely concerned about implications of a PDP Senator occupying this exalted position at this time when Nigerians have voted for change.”

  • Case goes on despite Gbajabiamila’s loss

    Case goes on despite Gbajabiamila’s loss

    The suit instituted against the bid of former House of Representatives  Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila to be Speaker will go on despite his loss on June 9  to Hon. Yakubu Dogara, it emerged yesterday.

      The group,  Social Justice and Civil Rights Awareness (SJCRA), through its lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) hinged is suit on the grounds that Gbajabiamila, a lawyer, was not eligible to contest the election because of his alleged “conviction” for  professional misconduct  by the Supreme Court of Goergia, United States in 2007.

    Although Gbajabiamila lost the election to Dogara,  Ozekhome told the court yesterday that his client was willing to proceed to challenge Gbajabiamila’s eligibility to remain in the House of Representatives.

     But, in a counter-affidavit dated June 18, sworn to by Gbajabiamila’s Senior Legislative Assistant, Osaze Ogunditie and filed in opposition to a motion by the plaintiff seeking a restraining order against Gbajabiamila, he denied the conviction record.

     Ogunditie stated that the plaintiff lacked the locus standi (legal right) to institute the suit.

    He referred to the judgment of the Georgia Supreme Court, a copy of which the plaintiff attached to its court processes, and stated that “the 1st (Gbajbiamila) was not convicted by any court of law in the state of Georgia for any criminal offence.”

     “That the 1st defendant is currently an active member in good standing of the state Bar of Georgia.

    “ I know as a fact that the election to the position of the speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria held on June 9, 2015.

    “The 1st defendant lost the election to Honourable Yakubu Dogara a member of the House of Representatives representing Bogoro/Tafawa Balewa/Dass Federal Constituency of Bauchi State.”

     Gbajabiamila denied that he was once convicted in Georgia, United States.

    His denial is contained in a document he filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja in reaction to a suit by a group, challenging among others, his competence to be a member of the House of Reps. It also sought to prevent Gbajabiamila from contesting the last Speakership election in the House of Reps.

    Although the proceedings of yesterday were conducted in the chambers of the judge, Justice Abdulkadir Abdulkafarati, as was the case on June 8 when the case first came up, Ozekhome told reporters that his client would continue to pursue the case despite the fact that Gbajabiamila lost the speakership election.

    On June 8, Ozekhome’s bid to stop Gbajabiamila from contesting the Speakership election, scheduled for the following day, failed as Justice Abdulkafarati declined to grant his  ex parte motion for an order restraining  Gbajabiamila from contesting the speakership election.

    Justice Abdulkafarati has adjourned the hearing till September 21.

  • Gbajabiamila, supporters accept Dogara as Speaker

    Gbajabiamila, supporters accept Dogara as Speaker

    Former House Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila yesterday said he would not go to court over his loss of the speakership to Yakubu Dogara.

    Gbajabiamila told reporters after a meeting with the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee that he had no plan to challenge the outcome of the election in court.

    He said: “We’ve just gone through an election in the House, so we came to meet with the party regarding the election and how the party is going to remain strong and united and move forward, so that we can deliver the deliverables and programme of the party through the House.”

    Asked if he intended to go to court to challenge the outcome of the election, he said: “Go to court for what? I don’t know about the Senate, I can only speak about the House. Nothing happened in the House, we had an election, it is different from the Senate, in the Senate people were deprived of their fundamental rights to express themselves and vote.

    “We will work with the leadership of the House and the speaker; so long that the party’s programmes are properly articulated and pursued on the floor of the House, we will work with the leader of the House. He is an APC member; he is not the speaker of the APC. He is the speaker of the whole House. That is the prerogative of the party. All I know is that in every association there must be discipline, whatever the party decides to do that is for the party.”

    Also speaking, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, who lost the Deputy Speakership to Yussuff Lasun Sulaiman, said the election was a reality which members have to deal with.

    Monguno said: “Some members refused to respect the decision of the party and went to the floor of the House to conduct an election where, with the support of majority of PDP members, some people emerged as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    “As it is now, that is the reality is on ground and we have to deal with it. We will not take any step that is going to affect the interest, peace, order and good governance of this country.”

    Former national President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and member of the House of Representatives from Jigawa State, Mallam Mohammed Sani Zorro, said they were satisfied with the party’s explanations on moves being made to address the issue .

    He said: “ I can assure you that the measures being worked out by the party, the Presidency and the National Assembly are being triangulated and will involve all the three main institutional stakeholders which are the Presidency, the National Assembly and the party, and I can assure you that it will accommodate all the concerns and the fears and at the end of it, it will provide a single template for everybody to key in.

    “Even the senate itself or some element, either in the Senate or at the House of Representatives that appear war like, I can assure you that by the time this template is presented, if they look at it, it is based on reason and rationality and it is going to be based on the reality on the ground. The party is no longer interested in sentiment. The damage has already been done, we want to keep it at bay and move on. That is what the party wants to do. We are moving on we are no longer interested in all that has happened.

    “We have decided to remain loyal to the party because we have seen this kind of situation before. For example, some of us participated in the Peoples Redemption Party which had a similar crisis in the states it controlled between 1979 and 1984. Those who remained in the party actually triumphed.

    “ I can assure you that at the level of the National Assembly, we have the mechanism that will reconcile the whole differences in no time.

    “So, we have met with the leadership of the party and we are fully satisfied with the explanations that the party has given to us and we can assure you that this is not beyond the reproach and solution of the party.

    “I can assure you as a colleague and a member of the House of Representatives, we are satisfied by the explanation by the chairman of the party on measures itemized first to clean up the mess manage the crisis and de-escalate the tension and achieve early solution t the emerging political brouhaha.”

  • Dogara to Gbajabiamila, others: you did not lose

    Dogara to Gbajabiamila, others: you did not lose

    House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu  Dogara has assured that his leadership will not not be vindictive against those that contested against him for the coveted position.

    Dogara, while receiving former leadership of the House yesterday in his office promised to reach out to and mend walls with his opponents.

    He said a rancour – free House is needed to compliment the Executive on the delivery of electoral promises that brought the All Progressives Congress (APC) to power.

    Former Speakers and Deputy Speakers in attendance include  Agunwa Anakwe; Ghali Umar Na’aba; Patricia Olubunmi Etteh; Aminu Tambuwal; Babangida Nguruje; and Emeka Ihedioha.

    Others are immediate past Leader of the House, Mulikat Akande-Adeola, her Deputy, Leo Okuweh Ogor, immediate past Chief Whip, Mohammed Ishaka Bawa, his Deputy, Muhammed Mukhtar and the immediate past Deputy Minority Leader, Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu.

    “We are committed to the peace and stability of the House with a view to attaining our legislative agenda that will compliment the efforts of the Executive in trying the bring about the change Nigerians voted for.

    “Talking about healing the wounds and division that has been caused by yesterdays (Tuesday) event, I assure you that we have been together and we know ourselves.

    “We will come together and mend walls because some people may feel that they have lost.

    “I want to tell them that they have not lost anything, as this remains a leadership that is for all”.

    He also assured the former leadership that his emergence as Speaker was for no other purpose than for the delivery of dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

    “Electoral victory was delivered to the APC because Nigerians were tired of excuses.

    “They can’t wait any longer, and that is why we must as responsible leaders compliment the efforts of government.

    “Because as legislature, we must work with the Executive to achieve the needed change that Nigerians voted for which is why we can’t begin to engage the executive in unnecessary bickering that does no good to the general wellbeing of Nigerians,” he said.

    The group urged the leadership of APC to view the process that produced Dogara as victory for the independence of the legislature.

    Na’aba spoke on behalf of the gruop saying, “Lawmakers yesterday (Tuesday) achieved another democratic revolution against a conventional wisdom of imposition of leaders by political parties.

    “This has happened not to spite our party but that the legislature under a democratic setting must be independent.

    “What happened yesterday was an effort by lawmakers of both the APC and the PDP to ensure their independence as lawmakers.

    “Whatever must have happened, the new leadership must not be castigated and scorned but should be seen as a means of charting a new legislative course for the benefit of all Nigerians”.

    The group also tasked the new House to be courageous in revisiting the constitution amendment while urging Dogara to be magnanimous in victory.

    “We believe that the constitution needs to be amended, and this was done by the last Assembly but never saw the light of day.

    “This Assembly must take up that responsibilty to revisit the issue of constitution amendment.

    “What we need now is reconciliation, because the House as it is now is divided and i believe the process should not be difficult,” Na’aba added.

  • Speaker: Judge rejects move to stop Gbajabiamila

    Speaker: Judge rejects move to stop Gbajabiamila

    A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday rejected moves by a group to stop a leading member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Femi Gbajabiamila from standing  for House of Representatives Speaker election.

    The Registered Trustees of Social Justice and Civil Rights Awareness Initiative brought before the court, a motion ex-parte for an order of interim injunction restraining the House of Representatives from accepting the nomination of Gbajabiamila as an aspirant for the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, pending the determination of the motion on notice it filed along with it.

    Although the motion was heard in the judge’s chambers, the group’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), said the judge, Justice Abdulkadir Abdulkafarati, refused his client’s prayer as contained in its ex-parte application, but ordered the applicant to serve the defendants with court documents and for them to show cause why the prayer sought ex-parte by the group should not be granted.

    He adjourned the matter till June 18.

    Defendants in the suit include Femi Gbajabiamila, the House of Representatives and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

    The plaintiff, in a supporting affidavit, said it discovered, after a background check on Gbajabiamila, being a leading candidate for the office of the Speaker, was a lawyer who practised in the United States, particularly in the State of Georgia.

    The plaintiff also filed a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction for a similar order.

     

  • Speaker: Court rejects move to stop Gbajabiamila

    Speaker: Court rejects move to stop Gbajabiamila

    A Federal High Court in Abuja Monday, refused move by a group to stop a leading member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Femi Gbajabiamila from standing election for the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    The Registered Trustees of Social Justice and Civil Rights Awareness Initiative had brought before the court, a motion ex-parte for an order of interim injunction restraining the House of Reps from accepting the nomination of Gbajabiamila as an aspirant for the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives pending the determination of the motion on notice it filed along with it.

    Although the motion was heard in the judge’s chambers, the group’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) said the judge, Justice Abdulkadir Abdulkafarati refused his client’s prayer as contained in its ex-parte application, but ordered the applicant to serve the defendants with court documents and for them to show cause why the prayer sought ex-parte by the group should not be granted.

    He adjourned to June 18.

  • APC to its lawmakers: stick with Lawan, Gbajabiamila

    APC to its lawmakers: stick with Lawan, Gbajabiamila

    Members back party nominees

    Ahead of tomorrow’s proclamation of the eighth National Assembly, the All Progressives Congress (APC), which controls majority seats in the Senate and the House of Representatives, yesterday cautioned its members against going against its consensus candidates on the floor.

    At the weekend, the party held straw polls in Abuja where Senator Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North) emerged as consensus candidate for Senate President. Senator George Akume was picked for Deputy Senate President.

    House of Representatives member Femi Gbajabiamila (Surelere Constituency, Lagos) was nominated for speaker. Alhaji Tahir Monguno (Monguno/Tahir Constituency, Borno State) was picked for deputy speaker.

    But the camp of Senator Bukola Saraki boycotted the meeting.

    For the House of Representatives, the supporters of Yakubu Dogara, who is alo vying for speaker, protested. They have vowed to present their candidate on the floor of the House for the position tomorrow.

    But the APC said last night it had started reaching out to its members who might be aggrieved following the primary. It requesting them to put their interest below that of the party.

    National Secretary Mai Mala Buni, in a statement, also told members not to go against the party’s s decision, saying “it will be a shame” if the party, in spite of its majority, cannot pick the parliamentary leaders of its choice.

    He said: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) is reaching out to all its members in the incoming eighth National Assembly who may be aggrieved after the emergence of the party’s official candidates on Saturday.”

    The party said “it is natural for some members to be disappointed by the outcome of the straw poll that was conducted to select the party’s official candidates for the post: Senator Ahmed Lawan for Senate President and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila for Speaker, House of Representatives.”

    Buni added: “We must put the interest of our party above personal interests and avoid a situation whereby any other candidates, apart from those picked by the party, will emerge as Senate President and House Speaker on Tuesday.

    ‘’Any outstanding issues will be resolved by the party so we won’t go into Tuesday’s election with more than one candidate each for the two posts, Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives,’’ it said, adding that “it would be a shame if, despite its majority in both chambers of the National Assembly, the APC is unable to produce a Senate President and a House Speaker of its choice.”

    The APC explained that its role in ensuring a common front within the party ahead of Tuesday’s election “is that of an honest broker”, saying its goal of ensuring that the party does not go into the election with more than one candidate for each post has now been achieved.

    The party appealed to all aggrieved members to sheathe their swords and allow peace to reign, in the overall interest of not just the party but the entire nation.

  • Support for Lawan, Gbajabiamila swells

    Support for Lawan, Gbajabiamila swells

    Support for Senator Ahmed Lawan and House of Representatives member Femi Gbajabiamila swelled yesterday ahead of tomorrow’s proclamation of the Eighth National Assembly.

    Lawan is the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate for Senate President. Gbajabiamila is speaker nominee.

    A group of prominent Northern Elders,Youths and civil society, under the umbrella of Concerned Northern Elders and Youths yesterday in a statement signed by its interim co-ordinator and secretary, Mohammed Idris and Mr. Joshua Inusa, cautioned against compromising credibility in the choice of National Assembly leadership.

    The group also urged the lawmakers to key into President Muhammadu Buhari’s zero tolerance for corruption by voting a credible senator like Lawan for president.

    “With President Buhari’s statement that he would only work with and support people of unquestionable character, it is imperative for the incoming legislators to assist the President in ensuring that only a man of integrity whose past was not in any way characterised by either allegation of corruption, impunity or any other unwanted behaviour becomes President of the Senate.

    “To this end, after careful review and consultation with elders, youths and a number of civil society groups in the North, we hereby resolve to endorse Senator Ahmed Lawan.”

    The group also called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to compromise on Buhari’s stance against corruption by ensuring that their members tow the same line in choosing a man of impeccable character like Ahmed Lawan as President of the Senate.

    The campaign group for the Femi Gbajabiamila’s aspiration yesterday hailed his election in a shadow poll and applauded the overwhelming support he got across party lines.

    Dickson Tarkghir (APC-Benue), who spoke on behalf of the group, said they were confident of getting a sizeable number of votes from other political parties members-elect.

    He debunked the assertion by the Yakubu Dogara camp that they were not adequately informed of the mock election, saying the fact that they commented on the exercise in an advertorial before the date shows they were adequately informed of the mock election.

    “Definitely, they could not have made comments on an exercise they are not aware of.

    It is unfortunate that some members sought for intervention of the party before their election into the national assembly but suddenly realised that the unbiased intervention of the party in the mock election is inappropriate. Definitely these are not agents of change.

    “The Party gave members-elect the platform to elect a popular candidate that would represent the party in the House and we are glad that in the end of that exercise, it was res ipsa loquitur. Had Hon. Dogara won the mock election we would have all queued behind him now but as a mark of discipline and respect for the party we are all behind Hon. Gbajabiamila.”

    He said the Gbajabiamila camp had reached out to friends in other political parties “and we are thankful by their popular response. We also agree that the next speaker of the eighth House of Representatives would emerge on the floor of the House on Tuesday and definitely members across party lines would place merit first because this is the era of change we have been waiting for. We shall meet on Tuesday.”

    Ali Madaki (APC-Kano) noted that three of Dogara’s supporters participated in the mock election and did not walk out as claimed by Dogara’s supporters.

    On Gbajabiamila’s dual citizenship, he explained that the Nigerian Constitution supports dual citizenship and that there was a Supreme Court ruling on the same issue.

    Also yesterday the caucuses of the Northeast and Northwest in the House of Representatives identified the Gbajabiamila’s candidacy as most suitable for the position of Speaker.

    Ninety five  per cent of the 126 returning and new members have reiterated their support for Gbajabiamila, who triumphed in the straw election conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the weekend.

    The two cuscuses also described the legal action against the candidacy of Gbajabiamila as a sign of desperation on the part of a contender that believed the era of business as usual is not over yet.

    The caucuses’ position was predicated on merit, fairness, quality leadership and reward for commitment to the cause of APC, it was learnt.

    According to a chieftain of the APC and member-elect from Jigawa State (Northwest), Sani Zoro, it would be an act of injustice and politically incorrect to shove aside the contributions of Gbajabiamila to the sustenance of the independence of the House and deepening of democracy in the country at large.

    Zoro said the position of the group has the blessing of former and new governors and party leaders from the two zones.

    He said Mohammad Monguno and  Alhassan Doguwa were equally endorsed as Deputy Speaker and House Majority Leader.

    He said: “I make bold to say that except something untoward happens, it is the ticket of Gbajabiamila/Monguno that will triumph.

    “Fairness dictates that we look at the contributions of the two top contenders and make informed decision on the best candidate for the leadership of the House.

    “Gbajabiamila led the opposition creditably for eight years during which he saw to the expansion of the party in the House to the extent that the minority party became the majority, even before the General election.

    “He provided quality and opposition which every Nigerian can attest to, in addition to marshaling the APC caucus creditably through the eight years. In an era where almost all opposition were defecting to the ruling party, Gbajabiamila never faltered.

    “Secondly, let us look at the contribution of the two to the victory of the party in he last election. In Bauchi, it was only Dogara that won while others lost, even in the Senate.

    “On the other hand, Gbajabiamila delivered en bloc his constituency on all fronts and zone to the party, needless to say that the Southwest contributed the third largest bloc vote to APC.

    “The APC presidential candidate scored the lowest, about 3,000 votes  in Dogara’s constituency while PDP scored highest with over 11,000 votes. APC governorship candidate also lost in that territory, including two Assembly seats and the Senate,

    “Dogara is the only one that won in his territory.

    “The implication of this is why would the party reward an environment that is hostile to the party, while we have an option of a friendly region? It is only logical that the one that performed best should be rewarded.

    “The workability of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act is a major project of Gbajabiamila/Monguno team that would be vigorously worked on because we believe that it is in sync with the principle and projections of Mr President’s determination to fight corruption”.

    He also noted that the legal actions against Gbajabiamila would amount to nothing, saying, “As for the legal action, we see them as mercenaries used by other contenders to drag Nigeria backward from the gains of the revolutionary election that we had because so many barriers were raised to truncate it.

    “It is a cowardly act, it is our opinion that if they are sure of their capability, why not engage Gbajabiamila on issues rather than mudslinging. The issues they are raising have been adequately dealt with, even on the floor of the House.

    “This is one unfortunate incidence that will boomerang on them, they did it to President Buhari and we all knew how Nigerians reacted”.

    Alhassan Doguwa, a returning member from Kano, who is also on the same ticket as Majority Leader, said it was expedient that the sacrifices Gbajabiamila made over the years in entrenching a progressive 7th House be rewarded.

    According to him, in entrenching a progressive seventh House, Gbajabiamila turned down deputy speakership just to provide quality leadership for the opposition.

    “Our stand is to have an independent and quality House that can deliver to Nigerians dividends of democracy. We will not compromise merit on the basis that VP is from the Southwest.

    “For us in the Northwest and Northeast, it is payback time for the good Femi Gbajabiamila did for our region in the 7th Assembly. He merits it from whatever point of view we are looking at it from.

    “We are speaking from position of knowledge and authority, Gbajabiamila will become the Speaker of the eighth Assembly,” Doguwa added.

  • APC picks Lawan, Gbajabiamila to lead Senate, House

    APC picks Lawan, Gbajabiamila to lead Senate, House

    • Saraki supporters in disarray, boycott mock election
    • ‘Dogara stages walk-out with 15 supporters
    • Akume, Monguno emerge candidates for
    Dep Senate President, Dep Speaker
    • Buhari’s senators back Lawan

    The coast got clearer yesterday for Dr. Ahmed Lawan and Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila to become  Senate President  and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively when the 8th National Assembly is  inaugurated on Tuesday.

    Their party,All Progres-sives Congress (APC) last night picked them as its official candidates for the two positions.

    Lawan (Yobe North) will run with Mr. George Akume   (Benue North) as Deputy Senate President.

    He polled 32 votes out of the 33 cast at the mock election. One vote was invalid.

    The 32  include the three from Katsina State, home state of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    It was gathered that the Saraki camp had met at a different location in Abuja and decided to go for outright election on the floor of the Senate.

    Yesterday’s session was preceded by horse-trading with APC Senators-elect breaking into groups for consultations.

    The intense lobbying delayed the session to allow some Senators-elect to make up their minds.

    Although the meeting was scheduled to start by 8pm, proceeding  could not start  until 10.26pm when the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun arrived with members of the National Working Committee of the party.

    At about 10.40pm, the leaders of the party began to address the 33 Senators-elect present.

    After waiting in vain for the Senators-elect loyal to Saraki, the National Working Committee of APC proceeded with the primaries at about 11.16pm when it called for nomination of candidates.

    At exactly 11.17pm, Chief  Barnabas Gemade nominated Ahmed Lawan for the office of the president of the Senate.

    It was seconded by Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

    When the Chief Returning Officer, Mai Mala Buni( the National Secretary of APC) called for nomination for the office of Deputy President, Senator  Ajayi Borrofice (Ondo North) nominated Senator George Akume. He was seconded by Comrade Shehu Sani( Kaduna Central).

    At about 11.23pm, voting commenced with the Chief Returning Officer running through the list of 59 Senators-elect of the APC.

    The National Vice Chairman ( North East), Engr. B.B. Lawal conducted the sorting and counting of votes.

    Addressing newsmen on the outcome of the primary election, the Chief Returning Officer, Buni said the number accredited voters was 33, 32 voted for Lawan and one was invalid

    “By the powers conferred on he by the NWC of the APC, Sen. Lawan, having satisfied the requirements, is hereby declared elected for the Office of the President of the Senate and George Akume for the Deputy President of the Senate.”

    Apart from Ahmed Lawan, some of the senators-elect in his camp at the ICC were Rabiu Kwankwanso, Bukar Abba Ibrahim, George Akume, Adamu Aliero, Ajayi Borrofice, Gemade Barnabas, Adamu Abdullahi, Jide Omoworare, Abu Ibrahim, Bayero Nafada, Gbenga Ashafa, Sola Adeyeye, Abdullahi Abubakar Gumel, Suleiman Hunkuyi, Ahmed Barau Jibrin, and Isiaka Adeleke.

    Others were Kabiru Gaya, Nazif Suleiman, Nafada Ibrahim, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, Shehu Sani, Solomon Olamilekan, Kabiru Marafa, Lanre Tejuoso, Fatai Buhari, Mrs. Monsurat Sunmonu, Soji Akanbi, Bala Na’Allah, Gbolahan Dada, Umaru Kurfi , Abdulaziz Murtala Nyako, and Mustapha Sani.

    A Senator-elect from Katsina State, Mustapha Bukar , who left Abuja last night for Germany to attend to his health,wrote a letter to Oyegun expressing his full backing for Lawan.

     

    In his acceptance speech, Lawan said his victory was not only for the  Unity Forum that is in the vanguard of his campaign but for the entire senate.

    “We need to bring together every APC Senator. This change cannot be a real change unless everybody is on board,” he said and promised to be “ just, fair and equitable.”

    He also pledged to “ reach out to our colleagues who could not make it to this session so that the APC can be one family.”

    Lawan’s rival for the position, Dr. Bukola Saraki and his supporters boycotted the process even after signing an agreement earlier in the day with the Lawan group to abide by the outcome of the election.

    The decision of the party leadership to go ahead with the shadow election is said to have thrown the Saraki group otherwise known as  Like Minds into  disarray with some  saying they should have participated in yesterday’s process and others insisting that they were right in boycotting it.

    The group last night attributed  its decision to stay away from the mock election to the adoption of  the open ballot system for the process.

    It said that option was primitive and undemocratic.

    The Like Minds,in a statement said it “shall not be part of a process that promotes undemocratic electoral process that may resort to rancorous and uncivil situation which inhibits the rights of individuals to vote for their  choice,as this process will further divide us than unite members of our party.”

    Several PDP  senators -elect are reportedly angry with Dr.Saraki for branding the 7th Senate as a failure and have vowed to vote against him on Tuesday.

    The Lawan group on the other hand is confident about its chances on Tuesday.

    Thirty- one  APC senators-elect voted for Akume as the party’s Deputy Senate president candidate.Two votes were declared invalid.

    It was preceded by the emergence of Mr. Gbajabiamila as the APC’s official candidate for the position of House ofReps Speaker.

    After three hours of voting in the shadow election conducted for APC members interested in the position, Gbajabiamila (Surulere 1,Lagos), defeated Yakubu Dogara (Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi State) by 154 votes to 3.

    Four votes were invalid.

    A shocked Dogara stormed out of the International Conference Centre venue of the shadow election with 19 of his supporters.

    Spokesman for his group, Abdulmumin Jibrin said the shadow election has no place in the APC constitution.

    But moment afterwards, three of them retraced their steps and joined the rest of their colleagues.

    One hundred and eighty-three of the party’s 209 Reps-elect signed the attendance register at yesterday’s meeting, the APC National Secretary, Mallam Mai Mala Buni, said.

    One hundred and sixty-one of the 183 voted at the straw poll, with about 22 others either abstaining or leaving the venue.

    Alhaji  Tahir Monguno  (Marte/Monguno/Nganzai,Borno State) scored 153 votes to emerge the sole candidate of the party for the position of Deputy Speaker.

    Dogara was understood last night to be trying to negotiate with the leadership of APC for the Office of Deputy Speaker.

    He was however told that his move came too late in the day and that he should have done that before the primaries.

    It was also gathered that he was contemplating a parallel primary election last night.

    Party sources said the APC opted for the shadow election after all efforts to agree on a consensus candidate for the Speaker failed.

    The atmosphere at the venue was initially charged but the tension soon gave way in the face of the transparency method adopted by the party’s leadership.

    The primary election was conducted after a water-tight screening of members-elect.

    Members-elect began arriving the ICC as early as 9am while voting by secret ballot started at 2.26pm.

    Before the commencement of the poll, the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun appealed for calm.

    He allowed some members to address the session after which nominations for the Office of the Speaker were invited.

    Announcing the result, National Secretary Bunu said:”By the powers conferred on me by the NWC of the APC as the Chief Returning Officer of the election, I certify that Femi Gbajabiamila, having scored the highest votes is declared sole candidate of the APC for the office of the Speaker of the 8th Assembly of the House of Representatives”.

    Congratulating the winners, the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said: “On behalf of the party and NWC, I congratulate the sole candidate of the office of speaker. The party wishes you well. More than anything else, I congratulate all of you. You have been exemplary. You have been patient.

    “What is important today is that you (incoming members) have freely elected your leaders. This is what the APC stands for. This was done in the glare of cameras and everybody knew you were here. This is what this party stands for; this is what we must do. Internal democracy must prevail.

    “I thank you for the example that you have shown today. The party will work and interact with you closely at every stage. Not the point of dictating with you, but to be on the same page in all issues that affects the nation.

    “I want to charge you that from the minute you leave this hall; you must reach out to all members of the APC. As Mr. President did, so you must do and stretch your hand of fellowship to the other side. Please, I am not setting anybody down. Most institutions today have suffered a lot of bashing.

    “You must restore the confidence of the people in the House. It means sacrifice, leadership by example. We have cut down on waste. You have made us proud today and I am proud to be your chairman”.

    Responding after being declared the sole candidate for the Speaker,  Gbajabiamila thanked members for believing in him and giving him the opportunity to lead them in the House as Minority leader and capping it with a mandate to be the Speaker when the 8th National Assembly is inaugurated.

    He said though the APC had the strength to produce the Speaker alone, the position he is seeking will only be legitimate if elected by all members of the House irrespective of the parties they represent.

    He said: “There are about 20 members of the APC that could not make it to Abuja and were not here. These members are part of my and Mongunu’s group. Do, if you really add those numbers to what has been done here today, it is sufficient for the APC members to, on their own win the election to the office of the Speaker.

    “But I have said this countless number of times and I will say it again: this is not the mandate that I seek. Legally, yes, we need 181 members to be the speaker and APC can provide that. But that is not the mandate that we seek. It will be legal, but it will not be a legitimate mandate.

    “Legitimacy is found only when we get the votes across board, from all members of the House of Representatives. That is a legitimate mandate. That is what I and Mongunu will be seeking when we get to the floor of the House”

    Spokesman for the Yakubu Dogara Consolidation Group, Abdulmumin Jibrin dismissed the shadow election as an ambush by the APC leadership.

    Jibrin said while the pro-Dogara Reps  were not being  disrespectful to the leadership of the party, they were only insisting that the party should allow the next Speaker of the House to emerge on the floor of the House.

    He said: “We stated it clearly that we will not participate in this election because it undermines the principle of the constitution of the APC. It undermines the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “Our position is one and only: the next Speaker of the House of Representatives should be decided on the floor of the House on Tuesday 9th of June, 2015. That is what the constitution provided and that is our own position”

    Member elect for Soba Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, Barrister Mohammed Soba said they stood by the decision of the party to present a single candidate for the Speaker of the House.

    He said the straw poll conducted by the party was not seeking to disqualify anybody who is interested from contesting.

    Dismissing those who walked out of the meeting, he said: “What we are trying to do here is legal. We want to go to the House with one candidate for the position of Speaker. Those that walked out are trying to team up with the PDP. That is why they are trying to stop the party from taking a position.

    “We are not stopping anybody from contesting the Speakership when we get to the floor of the House. We are saying here is that we have only one candidate as a party and we will not support any other candidate when we get to the House. But anybody is free to contest.

    “If you think you are popular, you go and contest. Many of those who walked out were former PDP members who joined the party. They have never been in the opposition before. So, I am not surprised by their action”.

    A top APC leader said last night that Dogara having realized the futility of his walk out ” attempted to renegotiate with APC leadership for the Office of Deputy Speaker. But we said we cannot promise you deputy.

    “We told him he should have withdrawn from the race to allow for reconciliation, realignment of interests and a revisit of power sharing. It was too late in the day for Dogara.”

    It was learnt that Dogara and his supporters were planning a parallel primary election.

    But a top APC leader said the party might wield the big stick if there was any such parallel shadow election.

    The leader said: “The party will enforce discipline if any ambitious member misbehaves.”

     

     

  • Group endorses Gbajabiamila, Fafunmi

    Group endorses Gbajabiamila, Fafunmi

    A group, Yoruba Youth Initiative (YYI), has indicated its support for election of Femi Gbajabiamila as the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the Eighth House

    It is also backing Saka Dayo Fafunmi as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

    YYI, which comprises students in the Southwest, said the emergence of the two lawmakers, will contribute more to the development of the new administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari at Federal level as well as Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

    Its President, Mr. Toluwalase Dada, extolled the virtues of the two men, particularly Gbajabiamila, for his integrity, hard work and ranking status in the House.

    “He Gbajabiamila has proven himself worthy and credible to midwife the affairs of the lower chambers and bring the good memory of insightful debates, people-oriented bills, efficient check and balances and aggressive holistic oversight functions,” he said.