The National Working Committee of the
All Progressives Congress on Monday ordered all the party’s
members-elect in the National Assembly to vote Senator Ahmed Lawan and
Femi Gbajabiamila as Senate President and Speaker of the House of
Representatives, respectively during the inauguration of the 9th federal
legislature on Tuesday (today).
The NWC gave the directive after a
meeting with the APC governors and its members-elect in the National
Assembly in Abuja on Monday.
This is as the Peoples Democratic party
directed its members-elect to vote the former Senate Majority Leader,
Ali Ndume, and Umar Bago both of the APC, as the 9th National Assembly’s
Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives, respectively.
The APC NWC’s meeting also endorsed
Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Idris Wase as Deputy Senate President and
Deputy Speaker, respectively.
Ndume from Borno State, who had also declared for the Senate President, was absent from the APC meeting.
Among the contestants also absent from
the APC meeting were Senator Francis Alimikhena, Kabiru Gaya and a
former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu.
Addressing journalists at the end of the
meeting, the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, said, “We have
all agreed as a caucus to endorse senator Lawan for Senate President and
Senator Omo-Agege as the Deputy Senate President.
“We have also agreed to endorse
Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila as the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and Wase as deputy speaker. These four are the APC
nominees for the respective positions. The governors and members-elect
were unanimous in adopting this position.”
He thanked other aspirants for agreeing
to step down despite being qualified to contest the positions in order
to preserve the unity of the APC and the interest of the country at
large.
Specifically, Oshiomhole thanked Senator
Danjuma Goje from Gombe State for stepping down for Lawan and Senator
Francis Alimikhena for assuring him to support Omo-Agege.
He also thanked Senator Ajayi Boroffice
(Ondo State), Olusegun Odebunmi and Nkiruika Onyejeocha among others for
agreeing to step down for the party’s candidates.
Oshiomhole noted that those that stepped down were eminently qualified to contest the positions.
“They offered to step down as a mark of
honour for the President and leadership of the party. They are all
unanimous to back these candidates as the APC candidates for the good of
the country,” he said.
Oshiomhole commended Lawan and
Gbajabiamila for travelling the length and breadth of the country to woo
members of the opposition in order to build bipartisan cooperation,
which he noted, had been helpful to their course.
“I believe together we will work to take Nigeria to the next level,” he said.
Oshiomhole urged Ndume to respect the party’s position, which he said, was the position of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He added, “For now we are still trying
to talk to Senator Ali Ndume but I believe he is a democrat; he
understands that it is important to listen to the voice of the majority
and accept the decision of the majority. It is all about sacrifice.
“For those who have agreed to step down, they did so because they realise at a point in time, only one person will lead.
“I believe that my friend, Ndume, will
not be a lone ranger; he will respect the party and the President who is
the leader of the party. I do not have any fear that he will respect
the decision of the party.”
Earlier, the NWC had urged all aspirants
for the presiding officers of the 9th National Assembly to step down
and support the anointed candidates of the party.
The party made the declaration at the end of its NWC emergency meetings held over Saturday and Sunday.
Recall that The PUNCH had reported
exclusively on May 10 that Omo-Agege and Wase had been picked as the
party’s candidates for the two positions.
It was reported that the party had set machinery in motion to ensure the emergence of the two men.
A statement issued in the early hours of
Monday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu,
restated that the duo of Lawan and Gbajabiamila were the party’s
candidates for the positions of Senate President and Speaker of the
House of Representatives, respectively.
Ndume from Borno and Umar Bago
representing Chanchanga constituency of Niger State in the House of
Representatives on the APC platform among other aspirants had declared
for the positions.
But the party said it arrived at the
conclusion following wide consultations with President Buhari and party
stakeholders, including the APC governors.
“All elected APC members of the Senate
and House of Representatives are hereby directed to fully mobilise as a
united force behind the party’s choices.
“Members who have earlier signified
interests in these positions are urged to support the party’s decisions
as loyal and committed members of the APC by working with other members
to ensure the emergence of the adopted candidates,” the statement said.
PDP backs Ndume for Senate Presidency, Bago as speaker
But rising from a meeting the members of
the National Working Committee of the PDP had with its lawmakers-elect
in Abuja on Monday night, the party said it would support Ndume to
become the President of the Senate in the 9th National Assembly.
In the same vein, the main opposition
party is also giving tacit support to the ambition of Umar Bago to lead
the House of Representatives as its speaker.
The meeting was presided over by the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus.
Sources at the meeting told one of our
correspondents that the attendees engaged in serious calculations on
whether their preferred candidates could defeat those lined up for the
job by the ruling APC.
The APC had adopted both Lawan and
Gbajabiamila for the positions of Senate President of the Senate and
Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.
However, the national leadership of the
PDP was said to have told the lawmakers-elect that the party must play
the role of opposition in both chambers.
Though it was argued that while the
meeting was ongoing, some lawmakers-elect from the party were at the
press briefing where Gbajabiamila was endorsed, the party believed that
mere attendance of the meeting might not necessarily translate into
votes for the Lagos State lawmaker.
A source, who was at the meeting, told
one of our correspondents that there were signs that some members of the
ruling party in both houses would also work against the party’s
candidates.
The source said the APC lawmakers were
merely carrying on and appearing as if they were in tandem with the
dictates of the national leadership of their party.
He said, “We have done our calculations
very well. We have also spoken with a lot of lawmakers and we have come
to the conclusion that we should not just be part of the crowd that the
APC is forcing on Nigerians.
“We have spoken with our lawmakers-elect
and even some members from the APC in both the Senate and the House of
Representatives. We have interacted with the candidates running for
different positions in both chambers.
“We know that the legislature must be
independent and also be free to elect their leaders. We must not be seen
to be controlling this special arm of government from outside. The
legislature remains the beacon of Nigeria’s democracy.”
When contacted, Secondus confirmed the position taken by the party.
He said, “As the opposition political
party, we must be seen to play responsible opposition role.Yes, none of
the two presiding officers we are rooting for belong to the PDP, but we
know that as a critical member of the National Assembly, we must have a
say in the election of its leaders. This is the reason why we are
backing both Ndume and Bago.”
INEC ballot boxes arrive N’Assembly as lawmakers pick presiding officers today
Meanwhile, the National Assembly
management appeared set for the inauguration of the 9th National
Assembly and the election of the presiding officers of both chambers on
Tuesday (today).
The bureaucracy of the federal
parliament has also, finally laid to rest, the issue of voting method it
would adopt for the polls.
Investigations by one of our
correspondents revealed that the Clerk to the National Assembly,
Mohammed Sani -Omolori, has taken possession of some ballot boxes from
the Independent National Electoral Commission.
A member of the management staff of INEC
told one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity on Monday that
the boxes had been kept in the offices of both clerks of the Senate and
the House of Representatives.
He said, “The issue of voting method is
no longer in contention. The ballot boxes supplied by INEC are already
in the possession and safe custody of the clerks of both red and green
chambers.
“The lawmakers are aware that they would
elect their presiding officers via open-secret method as contained in
House Rule booklets in their possession.
“We are looking forward to a peaceful
election tomorrow (today) because adequate arrangements have been
perfected around the National Assembly complex, the premises and inside
the chambers.”
One of our correspondents had reported
that the management of the federal parliament took the decision to avoid
rancour on Tuesday (today).
A senior employee of the nation’s
legislature had said, “There were attempts to amend the rules of both
chambers to give room for open ballot but the idea was frustrated by the
outgoing leadership.
“I’m aware that advocates of the open
ballot method mounted pressure on the outgoing Senate President, Bukola
Saraki and Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, and stressed the need to amend the
rules in line with the global practice.
“There is no way the management will
come up with a voting method different from what is contained in the
Rule Book that had been distributed to elected members since April,” the
senior civil servant had said.
Investigation by The PUNCH revealed that
the members of the Ahmad Lawan Campaign Organisation had soft-pedalled
on their agitation for an open poll.
A strong member of the group, Ibrahim
Gobir, and senator-elect from Sokoto State, confirmed on Tuesday that
the Rule Book in his possession provided for an open-secret poll.
Gobir, who fielded questions from
journalists shortly after completing his documentation process on
Monday, said the 2015 Rule Book would be used for the election.
He said, “The voting pattern is provided
in our standing rules; so I don’t think that it is going to be a
problem. We are going to make use of the 2015 Standing Rules (which
provided for open -secret ballot).”
Attempts to speak with the Director of
Information, Rawlings Agada, on the issue failed on Monday as calls made
to his mobile phone did not connect.
Meanwhile, the Deputy President of the
8th Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, on Monday evening sent messages to all the
PDP senators-elect for a meeting with Governor Nyesom Wike.
The meeting, according to the Special
Assistant (administration) to Ekweremadu, Ndubuisi Nwigwe, was scheduled
for the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja by 8pm.
“Thereafter a final meeting of the forum
will meet at DSP (Ekweremadu’s) residence at 10pm at the Apo
Legislative Quarters,” the notice added. The meeting was still going on
as of the time of filing this report.
Don’t muzzle legislature, Secondus tells Buhari, APC
Meanwhile, Secondus on Monday warned
President Buhari and the APC not to muzzle the legislature and the
judicial arm of government.
Secondus made the call in a statement in
Abuja by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, ahead of the inauguration of the
9th National Assembly.
While alleging that President Buhari was
directly involving his party in the election of principal officers of
the National Assembly, Secondus warned that the doctrine of separation
of powers must be respected to avoid dictatorship.
Secondus said, “Indications are clearly
showing that full-blown dictatorship is brewing in our country. When a
supposed democratic government brazenly muzzles all the other arms of
government, the legislature, the judiciary and even the press, the
fourth estate of the realm, we should be worried at what is loading in
our polity.”
The PDP chairman urged members of the 9th National Assembly to guide their independence jealously and refuse to be intimidated.
Abuja agog ahead of N’Assembly inauguration
Meanwhile, political activities peaked
in Abuja on Monday as members of the 9th National Assembly were set to
elect their leaders on Tuesday (today).
State governors and other leaders of the
APC, the PDP and other political parties have relocated to the Federal
Capital Territory ahead of the inauguration.
Other politicians from all states of the
federation also arrived in Abuja on Monday to identify with the federal
lawmakers from their states.
The development led to a boost in business for major hotels located in the city centre.
Gbajabiamila free to contest, says VATLAD
In a related development, the National
President, Vanguard for Transparent Leadership and Democracy, Igbini
Emmanuel, in a statement on Monday said Gbajabiamila was free to contest
the election despite the allegations being levelled against him that he
was convicted in 2007 by the Supreme Court of Georgia in the United
States of America.
Emmanuel said Section 66 (1c and d) of
the constitution “only disqualifies people from contesting if convicted
within a period of less than 10 years before the date of an election.”
He said, “Femi Gbajabiamila was said to
have been convicted by the Supreme Court of Georgia more than 10 years
before February 23, 2019, being the date of election for the 9th House
of Representatives of Nigeria.
“It is very important for us to mention
and inform Nigerians that ‘double jeopardy’ in criminal case is highly
prohibited by the 5th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
of America which also applies to the State of Georgia and the Supreme
Court of Georgia which allegedly convicted Femi Gbajabiamila over 10
years ago.
“It also applies to Nigeria in regard to
a resident of the US. The Double Jeopardy Clause in the Fifth Amendment
is part of the critical Bill of Rights of persons which provides the
right of defendants to be tried only once for same offence.”
He added, “To deprive Femi Gbajabiamila
of his constitutional right to vie for the Office of the Speaker of the
9th House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the
same alleged offence will amount to double jeopardy that must not be
tolerated and allowed in the administration of criminal justice in
Nigeria.
“The allegation of perjury against Hon.
Femi Gbajabiamila for purpose of seeking his disqualification from NASS
can only be a pre-election matter not post-election.
“Except and until there is a proof that a
suit was properly filed against him before the February 23, 2019
National Assembly elections, any suit filed outside such period shall be
statute-barred and therefore no court of law in Nigeria shall have
jurisdiction to hear any such matter.”
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