A major crack capable of polarizing the ruling All Progressive Congress,
APC, in the House of Representatives is currently the subject of worry
within the rank and file of the party.
While Some members claimed the APC has adopted Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as
Speaker, others are claiming the arrangement is “fraudulent and shameful.”
Hon. Abdulmumin Jubrin, APC, Kano, took the party to the cleaners when in
a Press Statement, accused the part of blatant lies, fraud and act of
shame over issues surrounding the emergence of Hon. Gbajabiamila as
Speaker
Hon. Jubrin who leaves the Consolidation Group among Lawmakers-Elect of
the House of Representatives said the mock election that produced
Gbajabiamila as Speaker was in itself a mockery, arguing that members had
walked out of the event.
The Consolidated group said,”The APC leadership keep telling the public
that an election was conducted and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila got 154 votes
while Hon. Yakubu Dogara got 3 votes. It is a blatant lie, fraud and
shameful for the APC leaders to descend so low.”
“The mock election actually showed that APC has made a mockery of itself
because we walked out of the venue even before they perpetrated the
illegality.
“Hon. Dogara was not in the hall as at the time they said he was nominated
but the APC leaders planted someone who impersonated one of us and another
person was also planted and he accepted the nomination. This is
fraudulent, shameful, and dishonest. It was all arranged and done by APC.”
“The stability of the House is very important and the the House to be left
alone to elect its speaker. We will never allow the number four citizen of
this country to be pocketed by one selfish (individual). We want a
courageous speaker who is free from the apron strings of a godfather and
not one that will create special bedroom in the pocket of an individual,”
Mr. Jubrin, who had earlier showed interest in the speakership position
but stepped down for Mr. Dogara said.
The group expressed optimism that its candidate would emerge Speaker on
Tuesday when all the members, including those of other parties, would
elect the principal officers of the House.
“On Tuesday the real picture of the strength of our candidate Hon. Yakubu
Dogara will emerge.
“We are shocked and surprised that barely two weeks after taking over as
the ruling party, is this the change we want to offer to Nigerians? Is
this the departure from the past that Nigerians wanted?
“We have never seen this kind of manipulation in the political history of
Nigeria. We are being intimidated and threatened because we tow the path
of honour.
“We decided to follow our conscience and do the right thing for our country.
“We won’t let this country down. Despite the mockery of an election by the
APC we are going ahead on the 9th June 2015 to nominate Hon. Yakubu Dogara
on the floor of the House as speaker. They don’t understand the dynamics
of an election of House leadership
“This is the House of the Nigerian people, we are going ahead to nominate
our aspirant who has what it takes to lead us. Dogara is stainless, he
comes with integrity similar to that of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We have decided that the only place we can also take our case to, because
of the huge amount of threat and intimidation to some of us, we have
decided to write a petition to the President of the Federal Republic to
intervene and call the party leaders to order. We are very confident that
the president will look at the matter in a very just manner.”
Both groups within the APC reps-elect are lobbying to get the support of
the Peoples Democratic Party reps-elect who form the second largest party
representation in the House.