POLITICS
10th Reps Speakership: G7 Accuses APC of Acting Gbajabiamila’s Script
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
The group of seven Contestants (G7), for the Speakership seat of the 10th House of Representatives has indicated that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC ), was acting the script solely prepared and funded by incumbent Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, to foist Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu as Speaker and Deputy, on other elected members.
A member of the G7 and key contender for the seat, Rt Hon Ysuf Adamu Gagdi, disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja, on Tuesday, absolving the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of any complicity in the said conspiracy.
This was just as Gagdi expressed displeasure over the way and manner Gbajabiamila was going about the issue in a way he said was quite deceptive, knowing fully that he allegedly stabbed in the back, his loyal Allies, who are all members of the G7.
Gagdi told journalists that he found it hard to believe that Gbajabiamila could jolt members of the G7 to Settle for someone like Tajudeen Abbas, after all that they have done for him and their long-standing loyalty to him and the party.
He said this explained why Gbajabiamila allegedly denied sponsoring the Joint Task, which his helmsmen told journalists during it’s inauguration that the body was not being bankrolled by the Speaker.
It could be recalled that Joint Task in nation building first started in 2019, on which platform the interest of Gbajabiamila to be Speaker was pushed and achieved.
The system gave rise to a rebellion by certain members of the opposition People’s Democratic party (PDP), against the party’s choices of minority principal officers, as Femi Gbajabiamila rejected outrightly on the floor of the House the list forwarded to him, paving way for Ndudi Elumelu, Tobby Okechukwu and others, who were members of his Joint Task Team, to emerge as leaders of the opposition, thereby frustrating the party’s choice of Kingsley Chinda.
Other members of the team, like Onofiok Luke, who were first termers, also got recognitions and juicy committees, but Like and a lot of others, including all these minority principal officers, were unable to secure their seats in the 10th Assembly.
Gagdi said that it was immoral for Gbajabiamila’s men to deny that he was not bankrolling the Joint Task Team, only for Gbajabiamila’s to be be seen steering the activities of the team that was the basic platform the APC NWC was pushing their speakership interest.
He insisted that Gbajabiamila should have played neutrality in the contest and not allegedly asked the APC NWC to employ it’s powers to help him push his candidate against the interests of other party men, without adequate and due consultations.
Gagdi swore that he could stake everything for Tinubu that he was not aware of this script and as such, never endorsed it.
He said Tinubu by his political antecedents and pedigree, will not fall for the arrangements being peddled around, and assured that the protesting group will be willing to meet with the President-elect at as soon as the opportunity presents itself. “I don’t believe that the President-elect is aware, and I don’t believe this is his idea”, he submitted.
The lawmaker also faulted the manner in which the purported zoning arrangement came to the knowledge of other aspirants through media reports, a development he tagged “an insult to some of us (the aspirants)”, warning that the G-7 should not be taken for granted as it is an alliance seeking for justice, and will stop at nothing until a reversal is made.
According to him, the North Central geopolitical zone cannot be totally pushed out of the power equation in allocating the six constitutionally backed positions in the national political scene to the advantage of another zone.
“We (the G-7) have not started anything yet, and people are already running to meet governors…The G-7 has come to stay. Zoning is not a covenant that cannot be amended”, he said as he faulted the decision of the APC to narrow down its decision to individuals, without consulting the others who were nterested in the race.
He said the members of the G7 were patiently waiting for the action of Tinubu on this matter, to prove him as a true democrat, who preaches and was a beneficiary of fairness, justice and equity.
Gagdi further said his team was not perturbed by the ongoing activities of the APCNWC and the Joint Task Team, knowing that they don’t have the blessings of well meaning leaders of the party across the country.
The lawmaker vowed that he would not stepp down or stop fighting this decision, being convinced that it was against all principles of fairness, justice and equity.
However, he said there were two conditions that could make him reconsider his stand, if the G7 arrives at a consensus candidate and it didn’t favour him or if the Deputy President of the Senate is zoned to North Central, which is his desire for the geopolitical zone to have a constitutional position in government.
By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu, Thursday congratulated the two governors who emerged as leaders of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and Progressive Governors Forum (PGF).
The President’s felicitation was contained in a statement from the State House signed by Abdulaziz Abdulaziz at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“I congratulate the Governor of Kwara State, His Excellency Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, on his emergence as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), and the Governor of Imo State, His Excellency Hope Uzodinma, on his election as the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF).
“In the same vein, I also congratulate His Excellency Seyi Makinde, the Governor of Oyo State, and his Kaduna State counterpart, His Excellency Senator Uba Sani, on their elections as deputy chairmen for the two respective forums,” he said.
“Being called upon by their peers to lead them is a testament to the trust and confidence reposed in them by the governors,” President Tinubu added.
The President tasked the new leaders to use their tenures to advance the peace, unity and socioeconomic development of the country and join hands with his administration to engender the Renewed Hope agenda.
“As chief executives of states, governors are critical to the overall success of our administration and the desire for a Nigeria that works for all.
“As an important fulcrum in our journey to a more prosperous and safe country, what states do or do not do matter a lot. I am therefore obliged to ask the new leaders to use their good offices to bring about a convergence of vision between the Federal Government, under my leadership, and governments at the state level.
“It is my prayer that you acquit yourselves diligently in discharging the responsibilities bestowed on you through this election,” President Tinubu added.
Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, the APC National Chairman has charged governors elected on the party’s platform to adhere to its manifesto.
He gave the charge on Wednesday in Abuja, when the party’s governors under the agies of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) met with the National Working Committee (NWC).
“For us, anything that we will want to say to you is adherence to the manifesto as much as you can.
“We have a general framework for the governance of the country and you represent those who fly the party’s flag.
“It is expected that whatever you do, you will have in mind the manifesto that the party gave the country, as Chief Executive Officers of states, you must key into this manifesto.
“But there are peculiarities, there are priorities you must have set and you are bound to do as much as you can to meet the expectations of those who voted for us,”Adamu said.
He said the party and the country generally were in a very difficult moment, adding that the governors had visited at a very difficult period with regards to the lifting of the fuel subsidy.
Adamu said the period would be very challenging, particularly to the governors because they were where it matters most.
“From national politics, you are the shock absorbers in the various states of the federation, you live with the people, you wake up with them and you work with them.
“The expectation is that you could have a better appreciation of their pains as citizens of this country. So, a lot of expectations will be on you as governors of the Federating units of this great country,” Adamu said.
He assured that the party’s leadership would continue to give the governors the needed cooperation.
“If you have any problem, turn to us and we will give you the best advice as we can, but whatever we do with you, you are the one wearing the shoes and know where it pinches,” Adamu said.
Speaking to newsmen at the end of the meeting, Gov. Hope Uzordimma of Imo said the governors were committed to the party’s idea and manifesto and the Federal Government under it.
He noted that everything contained in the party’s manifesto during its campaigns were meant to be done and carried out.
On the removal of fuel subsidy as announced by President Bola Tinubu in his inauguration speech, all presidential candidates during the campaigns committed to remove fuel subsidy.
“The immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari before he left, made us to know that fuel subsidy is no longer sustainable.What we are talking about now is the implementation process,” he said.
He assured that the incumbent government of President Bola Tinubu was working out ways to implement the fuel subsidy removal to cushion the effect on the people.
“I have confidence in the ability of current president to navigate through the waters and take decisions that will be in the best interest of our people and the country as a nation.
On the leadership of the incoming 10th National Assembly, Uzodimma said Tinubu had not made proclamation for its leadership to be inaugurated.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Uzodimma had earlier emerged as the PGF chairman via consensus.
Some of the governors at the meeting were Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi, Abduallahi Sule of Nasarawa State, Mohammed Bago of Niger and Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State.
Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, Nasir Idris of Kebbi and Gov. Dapo Abiodum of Ogun was also at the meeting among others(NAN)
Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo has emerged the new Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) for the next four years.
He succeeds outgone Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna.
Uzodinma emerged at a joint meeting of immediate past governors, reelected governors and newly-elected governors held on Wednesday in Abuja, according to former Gov.
El-Rufai, the immediate past Chairman of the PGF.The PGF is an organization which comprises Governors elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC), which serves as a platform for collaboration, policy development, and sharing of experiences among its members.
El-Rufai said new Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State, emerged as Vice Chairman, while Dr.
Abdulkadir Mayere, former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, had been appointed as the Director-General of the PGF.The tenure of the new leadership, according to El-rufai, takes off immediately. (NAN)
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