Wednesday, July 15, 2015

House Leadership: APC canvasses doctrine of necessity for Gbajabiamila

House Leadership: APC canvasses doctrine of necessity for Gbajabiamila
A National Working Committee member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Wednesday canvassed the doctrine of necessity for the former Minority Leader of the House, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila from South West to become the House Leader in the 8th Assembly.
The NWC member, who spoke on the condition on anonymity, stated that the party sincerely appreciate the argument being pushed forward by the Speaker’s loyalists, Hon. Yakubu Dogara on the House Rules, but said Gbajabiamila can emerge as House Leader.
Hon. Gbajabiamila contested the Speakership of the House against Hon. Yakubu Dogara and lost.
To compensate him, the party wrote a letter to the Speaker nominating him as the Majority Leader of the House.
The NWC source stated that the letter written by the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun on the prompting of the governors was what made the case of Gbajabiamila difficult.
According to him, the National Working Committee members had agreed on how to zone the principal offices before the governors came with their idea that a letter should be written to the Speaker on how to share the principal offices.
He said, notwithstanding that the South West had gotten Deputy Speaker, the NWC agreed that the post of House Leader should go to Gbajabiamila as compensation.
Also, it was agreed that the South East, North East and South South should produce principal officers with exemption of North Central because of the slot of Senate Presidency they are having.
“We are agreed that the should be given the Appropriation Committee chairman as a way of compensation,” he said.
The House Rules stipulate that every zone must produce a principal officer and the South West is having the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Yusuf Lasun from Osun, the same zone Gbajabiamila is from.
The Dogara followers are saying that base on this it would be violation of the House Rules to allow Gbajabiamila to emerge as a House Leader.
Speaking on the way to resolve the logjam, the NWC member stated that the governors cannot resolve it and the best way is for the APC caucus to vote for the principal officers.
Also, he revealed that the party will commence the election of the Board of Trustees leader after the Sallah break.
On the issue of the delay in Ministerial nominees and forming a cabinet, he stated that there is no delay.
According to him, former Presidents, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua nominated their ministers in August.
He explained that the only President that appointed ministers earlier than August was President Goodluck Jonathan and the reason was that he had worked with them as Acting and substantive President when he took over after Yar’ Adua’s death.
However, he stated that President, Muhammadu Buhari would announce the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and other Special Advisers after the holidays.

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