POLITICS
Dialogue as antidote to House minority leadership crisis
By Orkula Shaagee, Abuja
For the first time since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999, the House of Representatives was engulfed in crisis over the leadership of the minority parties in the lower chamber of the nation’s National Assembly.
Though it is common sight to see lawmakers engage in mace snatching and open fight right in the hallowed chamber over political differences, it was the first time in the history of the third arm of government to witness lawmakers engage in open confrontation over the election of minority principal officers in the green chamber.
Penultimate Wednesday, the House of Representatives was thrown into crisis that led to attempt by some aggrieved members to snatch the mace.
The action followed the alleged rejection of a letter by House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila from by the leadership of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nominating Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers State) as the Minority Leader, Chukwuma Onyema from Anambra as Deputy Minority Leader, Yakubu Barde from Kaduna State as Minority Whip and Muriano Ajibola from Oyo State as Deputy Minority Whip.
Gbajabiamila however read a letter he said was sent to him by minority parties in the House signed by 99 out of the 147 members nominating Ndudi Elumelu from Delta State as Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu from Enugu State as Deputy Minority Leader, Gideon Gwani as Minority Whip and Adesegun Adekoya as Deputy Minority Whip.
Despite intense protests from the opposition lawmakers, citing the various House rules to support their position, Gbajabiamila ruled them out and thereafter declared Elumelu and the others in his group as the House’s minority leaders.
Leading the protest, Chinda said the nomination of Elumelu and his gang as House minority leaders would not stand. He said series of inter-party meetings were held among the oppositio9n parties where all the issues of nomination were ratified.
“The issue is that of Minority leadership. It is the standard practice in parliament that minority leadership comes from among minority parties and the correspondence is always sent by the major minority party, in our case that was followed,” he said.
Reacting, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila sets up a committee to probe attempt at mace snatching.
At the resumption of plenary the following day, Chinda and his colleagues took over the designated seats for the minority officers, and this delayed the commencement of plenary traditionally billed for 11 in the morning. Gbajabiamila’s procession, including his deputy, Idris Wase, and other minority officers, led by Elumelu, did not enter the chambers until 12:10.
The Peoples Democratic Party also condemned the action, saying, “Gbajabiamila exhibited personal hostility, with threats that Chinda would ‘regret’ taking his rightful seat as the bona fide Leader of the Minority in the House.
“This vicious outburst by Gbajabiamila is a direct threat and affront to our democratic order. The rights of the minority members in the House of Representatives, the people of Obio/Akpo Federal
“The PDP, in the strongest terms, condemns this outburst and demands the Speaker retract his inciting threats against Chinda within the next 24 hours,” its Spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan said.
He also called on Nigerians to hold Gbajabiamila directly responsible should any harm suddenly come upon Chinda, any member of his family or any member of the PDP in the House of Representatives.
Ologbondiyan said, “The PDP also invites the police and the Department of State Services to summon Gbajabiamila to explain the intents of his threats.”
He stated that the PDP remained committed to rules and the sanctity of the parliament.
Consequently, the Peoples Democratic Party later suspended Ndudi Elumelu and six other members of the party in the House of Representatives for “indiscipline, insubordination and disobedience”.
The representative of Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency, Osun State, Wole Oke; representative of Onitsha North and Onitsha South Federal Constituency, Anambra State, Lynda Ikpeazu; representative of Ezza North/Ishielu Federal Constituency, Ebonyi State, Anayo Edwin; representative of Kaura Federal Constituency, Kaduna State, Gideon Gwani; representative of Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, Enugu State, Toby Okechukwu; and representative of Ijebu-North/Ijebu-East/Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency, Adekoya Abdul-Majid, were the six other members of the party suspended.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, told reporters at a press conference in Abuja that the suspension was the outcome of the meeting of the PDP National Working Committee over the crisis that resulted from the struggle for the House of Representatives Minority Leader.
Ologbondiyan, who read the resolution of the NWC, said the committee reviewed the issues affecting the minority leadership of the House of Representatives.
He said the party noted the roles played by the affected Reps which resulted in the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, announcing the list of the minority leadership of the House different from the one submitted by the opposition party.
He said, “After the preliminary examination by the NWC, it was evident that the roles played by the above mentioned members, bordered on indiscipline, insubordination and disobedience, contrary to Section 58 (1)(b)(c)(f)(h) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017).”
The Peoples Democratic Party also criticized the Speaker, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, for allegedly threatening the representative of Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in the House, Mr Kingsley Chinda.
The main opposition party asked the police and Department of State Services to summon the Speaker to explain himself.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Friday said Gbajabiamila had no justification to allegedly threaten the factional Minority Leader of the House after overruling him when he wanted to raise a point of order during Thursday’s plenary.
Gbajabiamila had blocked moves by some Peoples Democratic Party members, including Chinda, to raise issues relating to the parallel principal officers produced by the minority parties on Wednesday.
Ndudi Elumelu and Chinda had emerged as factional Minority Leaders, with the House recognizing the former.
Still not backing down on its stand to have Chinda and other nominees from the PDP to assume offices as House minority leaders, the Board of Trustees (BoT) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) set up a five-member committee to intervene in the dispute over the emergence of Rep. Ndudi Elumelu as the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
The Chairman of the BoT, Mr Walid Jibrin, announced the decision in Abuja after the board’s meeting at the party’s national headquarters.
Jibrin said that the committee, to be chaired by a former President of the Senate, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, had seven days to submit its report,
“We have decided to wade into the fracas in the House of Representatives as regards the minority leadership.
“To that effect, a committee has been formed under the chairmanship of Ayu. Other members of the committee include Sen. David Mark, Sen. Ibrahim Mantu, Sen. Adolphus Wabara and Hon. Austin Opara as Secretary of the Committee.
“They have been given a week to submit their report to the BoT and National Working Committee (NWC) thereafter, a decision would be taken”.
Jibrin said that the BoT as the conscience of the party would always work with the NWC to avoid any form of conflict within the party.
He said the board passed a vote of confidence on the judiciary and expressed the hope that court decisions would deepen democracy in the country.
“We agreed again that our party will play the role of opposition. We are in support of the process going on at the Supreme Court and thirdly we congratulate the judiciary for a job well done.
“We are very encouraged with the judges and if they continue, our democracy in Nigeria will be better.”
As the logjam persists despite prolong protests, media war and threats, we advise the nominees and the opposition political parties in the House to explore the option of engaging the Femi Gbajabiamila led leadership in the House to a dialogue to find the way forward and a lasting solution to the wrangling.
We are aware that being the first time since 1999 that the PDP is taking the position of the opposition party in the House leadership, it will be a bitter pill for the party to swallow the garbage being thrown at them by the APC-led leadership.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over alleged directives aimed at frustrating the procedure for issuance of Certified True Copies (CTC) of form EC8A.
The Spokesman, PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Charles Aniagwu, stated this at a news conference on Friday in Asaba.
Aniagwu alleged that the INEC headquarters had directed the Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) in states and the FCT to ensure comparison with its Result Viewing Portal (IRev) data before issuance of CTC of form EC8A.
He urged INEC to do right thing by allowing the states, which were the original source of the documents to issue same without comparing with the IREV data.
Aniagwu, said that why the PDP was seeking the CTC of the form EC8A was to enable it prove its case at the Presidential election tribunal.
He noted that INEC’s directive to state RECs to compare with IREV figures would be detrimental to its case since the party was already disputing the contents of the IREV data.
According to him, the Presidential election has come and gone but because our party is not satisfied with the conduct of the election, we felt that there is need to challenge the outcome in the court of law.
“We were able to get a court judgement asking INEC to avail us all relevant documents that will assist us in proving our case.
“We are, however, taken aback that INEC in an unsigned document sent to State Resident Electoral Commissioners directed them not to issue the form EC8A without comparing with IREV records at the Commission’s headquarters.
“This directive is a departure from the usual procedure for the issuance of Certified True Copies of form EC8A which has to do with results from the states.
“The most important data here is the primary data which are domiciled with the RECs of states and INEC knows that the directive is not the right procedure hence they refused to sign the document,” Aniagwu said.
He said that the IREV portal were already being interrogated by the party, while pleading with INEC to allow the RECs upload the CTC of form EC8A without recourse to the IRev.
“The IREV portal in this instance is a secondary data because the primary data which is the form EC8A is domiciled with the RECs.
“We cannot at this moment believe that what was uploaded in the IREV portal will be what actually transpired because of the delay in the upload of the data.
“In the actual fact, it is INEC headquarters that is supposed to confirm from the states and not the other way round because the primary source of the form EC8A is the States,” Aniagwu said.
On the governorship election in Delta, Aniagwu said the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state had no case with the election as Sheriff Oborevwori won fair and square.
“The Delta State Governorship election was won fair and square and for Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege and the APC to run to the media claiming manipulations in parts of the state, particularly the 21 local governments the PDP won is preposterous and we urge him to go and prepare for 2027.
“This election is won and lost and they know because they brought forward a candidate that is not acceptable to the people of Delta.
“So, we advise the APC in Delta to begin to organise themselves possibly for 2027 because the governorship election result is a true reflection of what happened on ground,” he added.(NAN)
The Court of Appeal, Abuja, Friday evening, dismissed an appeal by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking the disqualification of Sen. Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate, All Progressives Congress (APC), and his vice, Kashim Shettima, in the Feb. 25 election.
A three-member panel headed by Justice James Abundaga, in a unanimous judgment, held that the PDP failed to establish that its had locus standi to institute the case.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PDP, in an appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/108/2023, had prayed the appellate court to reverse the Jan.
13 judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court, Abuja which dismissed its suit on the grounds that the PDP lacked locus standi to have instituted the suit.While the PDP was the appellant, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC, Tinubu and Shettima were respondents in the appeal.
The PDP had, in the suit filed on July 28, 2022, challenged the validity of the Tinubu/Shettima ticket for the 2023 presidential election.
It argued that Shettima’s nomination as the running mate was in breach of the provisions of Sections 29(1), 33, 35 and 84{1)}(2)} of the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended), claiming that Shettima had double nominations.
It claimed that as at the time Shettima was nominated as vice presidential candidate, he had not resigned or withdrawn his nomination as candidate for Borno Central Senatorial poll.
The party argued that Shettima’s nomination as a vice-presidential candidate as well as the candidate for the Borno Central Senatorial seat contravened the law.
The PDP, which sought an order disqualifying the APC, Tinubu and Shettima from contesting the presidential election scheduled for Feb. 25, equally prayed the court for an order nullifying their candidacy.
It further prayed the court for an order compelling INEC to remove their names from its list of nominated or sponsored candidates eligible to contest the election.
The defendants, in their preliminary objection, urged the court to dismiss the suit for want of jurisdiction.
They contended that the plaintiff lacked the locus standi to institute the case, which invariably challenged APC’s decision and its nomination of candidates for the election, which were within the confines of the party’s internal affairs and thus, non-justiciable.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Abundaga, who agreed with the submissions of lawyers to the respondents, including Thomas Ojo of Lateef Fagbemi and Co, described the PDP as a busy body, who dabbled into issues that were internal affairs of the APC.
Justice Abundaga held that the trial court was right to have held that the PDP failed to establish its locus standi.
“The appellant, having failed to disclose its locus standi, this appeal fails and it is hereby dismissed,” he said and proceeded to affirm the judgment of the FHC.
The judge also awarded N5 million cost against the appellant’s lawyer, J. O. Olotu.(NAN)
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
Protesters, in their numbers, under the auspices of Free Nigeria Movement, stormed the National Assembly, rejecting the outcome of the February 25 Presidential election, where Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Mahmoud Yakubu, declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), winner amidst serious controversies.
The angry protesters are pushing for an Interim National Government, (ING), pending the determination of all litigations arising from the 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections held on.
The protesters said the elections fell short of every good standard, even as they accused the Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu of complicity, demanding his arrest.
They wielded placards with diverse inscriptions such as ‘Save our Democracy’, “INEC + Corruption, Politicians are killing our Democracy,” and “INEC killing the Nigerian Democracy”, the protesters called for annulment of the election.
Although they were not granted access into the National Assembly arcade by security agents, as they made use of their spaces by the gate to drive home their demands.
Addressing the crowd, the convener of the protest, Dr. Moses Paul, said the votes of Nigerians must count.
Paul said the protest would also be taken to the court of appeal headquarters in Abuja, from the ministry of justice.
“Today, we mourn the demise of credibility, the rape of trust, the abuse of will. Today, we stand in the ruins of transparency, on the embalming table of inclusion, equity and accountability. Today, we are voices, toneless, stripped of the music of choice. Today, we are Nigerians, broken, calling on INEC to count our votes.
“On February 25, 2023, Nigerians trooped to their polling units with one mission, ‘to cast their votes and choose their next leaders.’ They qualified for this exercise by participating in the yearlong Continuous Voter Registration which witnessed an unprecedented spike as has never been seen in any election since 1999.
”Months later, they returned to collect their Permanent Voters Cards and went home with a commitment to participate and engage with the process. The chain of apathy was broken, tossed to the belly of oblivion.
”We were free, free to experience the full potential of our Nigerianness. Our binding lines were unbroken: in ideology, they held us together; in trust, they washed us like water; in truth, they kept us alive.”
“We breathed the full breathe of what being citizens should be in a progressive, secular society. So, when the day finally arrived, we had no doubt in our hearts, in the portion that always questions truths that our votes must count. But nothing could bolster our belief like the assurances by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, and INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmoud.
“Recall that a little over a year ago, President Muhammadu Buhari appended his signature to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2022. The fanfare that greeted that can well claim recognition as one of the most colourful in our recent history due to its unbroken allegiance to the Nigerian spirit.
”On that day, we were neither Igbo, Hausa nor Yoruba. We were not Efik, Tiv, or Urhobo. No, we were not Gbagyi, Kanuri or Ijaw. On that day, we were Nigerians full of the positive energies of our land.
“I hate to announce that today in the heart of some, all this has gone to waste. You may have seen the video of the diasporan who tore his passport. Some other Nigerians have done same to the fabric of our identity because INEC through Prof. Yakubu Mahmoud chose to silence their voice.
“So I ask, what is the value of democracy if the process that recruits its leaders consistently lacks credibility?
“Perhaps, the answer is at the International Conference Center where Prof. Yakubu Mahmoud began, sustained and concluded collation and declaration of a candidate as winner of the presidential election, based on falsehood, contravening its guidelines and the Electoral Act.
“It is most disturbing that this was done in the full glare of the world. Never has our democracy been so sorely abused by any citizen in either public or private service.
“Prof. Yakubu Mahmood has raised a bar in impunity that will cost our country many years of electoral excellence to correct. This was not the electronic transmission he promised Nigerians and the world at Chatham House.
”Prof. Yakubu Mahmood has lied to Nigerians and abused our right of choice. We pass a vote of no confidence and call for his immediate sack and prosecution. We cannot afford to continue the culture of performing lawlessness without consequences. We are as strong as our laws and as tall as our institutions. We cannot afford to descend any lower than this.
“As microcosm of our demography, the National Assembly represents our collective aspiration, desire, hope, and faith in a country that works for all. The laws you make device the path of our corporate engagement as individuals and institutions.
”The lawmaker should be on the side of justice, equity, and fair play. Our call to you is to take a stand with the people of Nigeria whosen place you hold in these hallowed chambers in their demand for a system that works for all and call on INEC to count our votes. This is the only way the laws you make can hold the deserved essence and effect.
“We, therefore, call on President Buhari, whose commitment to free and fair elections is engraved in the legacy of the Electoral Act 2022, to initiate processes and procedures that will bring Nigeria under the control of an interim government pending the resolution of all litigations pertaining to the conduct of the February 25 presidential election.
“Our country needs healing. It will be counterproductive to allow a fraudulent process to subsist as fraud will eternally birth fraud. We cannot grow our democracy on falsehood and suspicion. The holes in our national fabric must be woven shut.
”One way is to immediately establish a Truth and Reconciliation Committee in Lagos State and other flashpoints of voter intimidation and violence during the presidential, national assembly, governorship and state assembly elections. This will help build trust, confidence and further ethnic cooperation among Nigerians.
“As concerned citizens, we believe that our country is destined for greatness and are hopeful that in no distant time, our faith will nudge our dreams to reality. This is our prayer as we nurse the bruises of hope.
”For though they force us to precipice, we will not curse our country or stand by those who curse it. We will not steal from our country whatever treasures it possesses in dignity. We will hold on to the promise of unity and faith, peace and progress.
“We are not stopping till they arrest Prof Mahmood and give us an interim government that will conduct credible elections”, the protest convener, Paul said.
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