APC In Fresh Crisis Over Election Of NASS Principal Officers

Date: 2015-06-19

Fresh crisis is brewing within the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) as the party is now pitched against the leadership of the National Assembly(NASS) in its bid to impose principal officers on the latter. LEADERHIP yesterday reliably gathered that the party is on the path of imposing candidates on NASS for the remaining leadership positions in the two chambers, a move majority of APC lawmakers have vowed to resist.

LEADERSHIP recalls that barely two weeks ago, some members of the party in the two chambers of the National Assembly defied the order of their party to vote for Senator Ahmad Lawan as senate president and Hon Femi Gbajabiamila as speaker of the House of Representatives.

However, on the day of the election, some APC lawmakers joined forces with members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), leading to the emergence of Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu, as senate president and deputy president of the senate, while the House elected Yakubu Dogara and Yusuf Lasun, as speaker and deputy, respectively.

But the positions of majority leader, deputy majority leader, majority whip and deputy majority whip were yet to be filled in the two chambers.

A reliable source, a serving lawmaker, who confided in LEADERSHIP on condition of anonymity, said they were ready for another showdown with the top leadership of the party on the matter.

He said, "We are tired of just a few people trying to impose their candidates on us and we will resist it. How can just a few persons decide to put their own interest before that of the party? The best we can do is allow these people choose the zone the positions will go to but for them to handpick the candidates, we say no!"

The lawmaker added that the national working committee of the party was on the side of the protesting legislators and has appealed to the south-west leader of the party and the party chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, to allow the senators and members of the House choose their principal officers themselves.

He continued, "Party supremacy supersedes personal interests. We will not allow a few hands to hijack a party that we all laboured to bring to power. We are the ones who will work with these people so we will choose who we want. Just like the previous attempt, this is already dead on arrival," he stressed.

The APC senators' numerical strength is 59 with the death of Borno senator, Ahmed Zannah, on Saturday, May 16, while the PDP has 49 members.

The convention in the senate, just like it is in the House, is that after the emergence of the two presiding officers, the senate president and deputy senate president, caucuses would be asked to meet and choose their leaders.

But contrary to that, it was gathered that the south-west leader has written to APC's national working committee (NWC) with a list of names to fill the remaining leadership positions.

Another ranking senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity explained that the lawmakers have been briefed about a letter allegedly written by the south-west leader, saying that "steps have been taken by a clique in the party, headed by this national leader to subvert the subsisting tradition in the senate with regards to filling the remaining four leadership positions.

"Some of us were just called by some members of the NWC, intimating us of details of a letter forwarded to the body that it should just fill the remaining four leadership positions in the senate."

APC NWC meeting deadlocked

Meanwhile, efforts by the party's NWC to reconcile the sharply divided leadership of the party that have been at loggerheads since the June 9, NASS leadership election, yesterday proved abortive as they could not reach a compromise.

After several hours of deliberation at the party's national secretariat, Abuja, committee members remained divided over the approach adopted by the party in the election of principal officers of the National Assembly which raised controversy within the ranks of the party.

The meeting which was the first after the National Assembly leadership crisis was presided over by Odigie-Oyegun with all the members of the NWC in attendance.

When reporters who had laid siege at the party's secretariat approached the National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed after the meeting on the outcome of the meeting, he rebuffed reporters referring them to meet the national chairman for comments.

However, speaking to journalists on the deliberation at the meeting Odigie-Oyegun said the meeting would continue today.

Tinubu's banner removed from secretariat

But the banner bearing the image of the APC national leader and former Lagos state governor Bola Tinubu was allegedly removed from the party's national secretariat in Abuja yesterday.

A source at the party disclosed that the removal of Tinubu's image might not be unconnected with the rift among party leaders following the outcome of the National Assembly election.

Source

 


Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Wahab Egbewole     Okeose Christian Cementary     Kwara State Television     David Oyepinola Adedumoye     Abikan     Obayomi Azeez     Shao     School Of Nursing     Shehu Alimi Foundation For Peace And Development     Computer Based Test     Chemiroy Nigeria Limited     Isin     Sa\'ad Alanamu     Ahmed Bayero     Bashiru Makama     IYA YUSUF     SUBEB     Justina Oha     Kayode Zubair     Bankole Omishore     Government High School Adeta     Yoonus Kola Olatinwo     Ebola     Wahab Kunle Shittu     Femi Gbajabiamila     Saba Jibril     JSSCE     AbdulGaniyu Kareem     Neo Mundo Ltd     Kayode Oyin-Zubair     New Model Police Station     Ilesha-Gwanara     Kazeem Gbolagade     NIPR     Folorunsho Erubu     Alaro     Kayode Yusuf     Muslim Stakeholders Of Kwara State     Isiaka Alikinla     Kumbi Titilope     Kawu     Yakubu Shaaba     Abdulahi Abubakar Bata     Abdulfatai Ahmed     Khairat Gwadabe     Otoge     Vasolar-Kwara Company Ltd     Hakeem Idris     Oko Erin     Shonga Farm Project     Patigi Regatta     Ilorin Emirate Staff Association     Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone     Oluranti Idowu     Ridwan Agboola     Yusuf Arowosaye     Katibi Ibraheem Adeola     Kwara 2023     Ilorin Anchor Men And Women     Muhammed Mahe Abdulkadir     Aishat Mohammed Lawal     Abdullahi Samari     Lawal Arinola Kudirat     March 18     Bayer Nigeria Limited     NaAllah     Amina El-Imam     Popo-Igbonna     Ahman Pategi University     Oluronke Adeyemi     Tsado Manman     Femi Oladiji     Babatunde Ishola Babaita     Olatunji Ibrahim     Tescom.kwarastate.gov.ng     Irepodun     Sarkin Malamai    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Lanre Issa-Onilu     Ola Falade     March 28     Jimoh Akani     Ilorin Curfew     Ilota     Islamiya Abdulraheem     Razak Atunwa     Adeola Abraham     Salman Suleiman     Bello Oyebanji     Demola Banu     2017 Budget     Abdulkadir Bolakale Sakariyah     Dan Iya     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport Ilorin     Yahaya Seriki     Olayinka Oladapo Jogunola     Sunday Otokiti     Iyabo Adewuyi     Omu Aran     LABTOP     Abdulrasheed Lafia     Shonga     Magaji Erubu     Kwara Politics     Gbemisola Saraki     Muyideen Ajani Bello     3MTT     Innocent Okoye     Sardauna     Ope Saraki     Road Transport Employers Association Of Nigeria     Sheriff Shagaya     Rasheed Jimoh     Hassan A. Saliu     Ballah     Yakubu Gobir     Playing Host     Oluwole Dupe     Elese Of Igbaja     Suleiman Yahya Alapansapa     Durbar     Iyaloja-General     Kwara State Sports Commission     Kamaldeen Gambari     Omotoso Musa     Village Alive Development Association     Tunde Idiagbon Road     Mohammed Abdulahi     Jalala     CKNG     T And K FOODS     Moses Adekanye     Olabode George Towoju     Jimoh Saadudeen Muhammed     Salihu Jibril Garbi     Ahmed Bolaji Nagode     Simeon Sule Ajibola     Oba Of Jebba     Olupako     Suleiman Ajadi     IYA YUSUF     Overland     Ilorin East     Olayinka Jelili Yusuf     Gbajabiamila     Muhammad Mustapha Suleiman     Mike Omotosho     Valsolar     Erubu Oba Zubair     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Babajide Ajayi     Kwara Poly     Busari Toyin Isiaka     Okin High School     Onikijipa