Dogara
and Gbajabiamila
THERE
appears to be a crack within the ranks of the Femi Gbajabiamila camp in
the House of Representatives as some members of group have disassociated
themselves from the letter emanating from the camp to the National Chairman of
the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun on the sharing of
principal offices.
The
Speaker, Yakubu Dogara had last Thursday replied the national chairman on why
the letter from the national leadership that contained the names of four
nominees for the remaining four principal offices was not read on the floor of
the House.
Dogara,
Oyegun and long standing tradition
Dogara
told Chief Oyegun that there had been a long standing tradition on the sharing
of principal offices, which was always guided by the principle of federal
character and that the 8th Assembly has decided to maintain the tradition for
the sake of fairness to all the six geo-political zones.
But the
Gbajabiamila group on Monday, faulted the Speaker’s position alleging that he
was hypocritical in his assertion as he (the Speaker) had jettisoned zoning
during the election of presiding officers of the House on July 9.
The group
in the letter to Oyegun signed by Hon. Nasiru Sani Zangon-Daura, alleged that
Dogara’s reply to Oyegun’s directives was fraught with fundamental flaws and
that going by the House Standing Rule, the South-East that has only two APC
members, who as first time members were not qualified to occupy any principal
office.
However,
two members of the group yesterday claimed that they were not part of the
letter from the camp to the national chairman and that there was no time the
group met to take such decision.
In a
statement with the title, “Let’s sheathe the swords and embrace peace” signed
by Muktari Dandutse representing Funtua/Dandume Federal Constituency of Katsina
State and Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe representing Tofa/Rimin Gado Federal
Constituency of Kano State, the members said there was no time they agreed to
write the letter to the chairman.
The
letter read in parts: “Our attention has been drawn to a letter dated July 18,
2015 purportedly signed by Hon Sani Zangon Daura and addressed to the National
Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Oyegun on behalf of
the Loyalists Group.
Party
supremacy
“In the
said letter to the National Chairman, Hon. Nasiru Zangon Daura insisted that
party supremacy must reign in the selection of four principal officers in the
house. While we categorically reaffirm our membership of the Loyalists Group
and our unflinching allegiance to the supremacy of the party, we wish to make
public that the said letter did not emanate from any formal or collective
meeting of the group.
“We make
bold to state that the views expressed by Hon. Nasiru Zangon Daura was his
personal opinion and never has the Loyalists Group met or agreed to write
formally to the leadership of the party in reaction to last week’s
Speaker Dogara’s entreaties to the national chairman of our great party on the
way forward.
“For the
avoidance of doubt, the last time the group met was immediately after the
maiden meeting of the APC National Executive Committee, NEC, held in
Abuja on July 3, 2015; where we accepted to engage the Hon. Aminu Tambuwal’s
-led Reconciliation Committee.
“Let us
stress, that it was at this NEC meeting that the party recognized Senator
Bukola Saraki as the Senate President and Hon. Yakubu Dogara as the Speaker of
the House of Representatives.
“Similarly,
it was after this NEC meeting that we accepted to cooperate with the Tambuwal’s
Reconciliation Committee under the aegis of the All Progressives Congress, APC,
Governors Forum.
Tambuwal’s
reconciliation committee
“In fact,
up to this moment, we are confident in the Tambuwal’s Reconciliation Committee
as we await its report.
“While we
want to use this medium to dissociate ourselves from the letter by Hon. Nasiru
Zangon Daura to the leadership of the party, which to us is his personal views,
we remain resolute in the conflict resolution mechanism embarked by the
leadership of the party through the APC Governors Forum.
“We still
maintain our spirit of give and take through negotiations with the
Consolidation Group, in the same vain, we salute and commend the Speaker, House
of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara’s posture on his magnanimity and
compromise disposition, by conceding two major principal positions to the
Loyalist Group all in a bid to promote peace and stability in the green
chamber.
“We
therefore urge the APC, Leadership to throw sentiments aside and accept the
olive branch extended by the Speaker, so as to achieve amicable resolution of
this lingering impasse in the House of Representatives as this will ensure
peace, stability and progress for the onerous national assignment and
expectations bestowed on all of us.
“We want
to also use this medium to call on all members of the Loyalists Group
nationwide to bury their hatchet, embrace peace and take Nigeria first, above
personal interests.”
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