POLITICS
Inside Details of Bauchi APC Assembly Members Meeting With Buhari
- Dont compromise your intergrity – Bubari tasks legislators
By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
The 17 aggrieved members of Bauchi State House of Assembly elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) who were sworn into office last Friday, following a reconciliation with their colleagues, have made u-turn and renounced their inauguration, after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa on Wednesday.
The lawmakers were led to the meeting by Hon.
Kawuwa Shehu Damina, who is the factional Speaker of the State Assembly.Prior to the meeting with Mr President, the factional speaker alongside his aggrieved colleagues had sheathed their swords and accepted Abubakar Suleiman, who was elected by 11 members at a previous inauguration of the House, as Speaker.
The 31-member Bauchi Assembly is comprised of 22 APC Members; eight Peoples Democratic Party members and eight New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) members.
This is even as The President urged lawmakers not to give up their rights and the rights of those who elected them, charging them not to compromise on their individual integrity so as not to divide the House and the party.
He advised them to stay firm, bearing in mind their responsibilities to their constituencies and always keep the party in the State and at the centre informed.
The party members led by the Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, had briefed the President on events leading to the crisis in the House.
Emerging from the closed-door parley with Buhari, the lawmakers told State House correspondents that they no longer abide by the reconciliation they reached with their colleagues and the State Governor, Bala Mohammed in Bauchi five days earlier.
Speaking on their behalf, Damina said they now demand a fresh proclamation for the another inauguration of the State Assembly, so that a new Speaker can be elected.
He said: “The purpose of our coming to see Mr President is at the instance of our party. So we came to brief him on what is happening in the Bauchi State House of Assembly since the purported inauguration which as you are all aware, two leaderships emerged. Primarily he (the President) was fully briefed directly from us.
Asked on the true situation now having been inaugurated earlier, he said, “The situation is as it is now. Because in Arithmetic, there is nothing that will make 11 to be greater than 20; and later that 11 grew to 13. So that is the position.”
On how they intend to resolve this issue, he said, “let me clearly state that this is not about any individual. All what we from the APC are asking for is a sane institution irrespective of who emerges as a leader. All we are saying is that the right thing based on constitutional provisions should be done – with a proclamation issued, specifying date, time and venue should be announced. Once that is done election should be conducted and whoever emerges as leader, fine and good.
“If you are following the event where parallel leadership emerged, our senior colleagues at the National Assembly threw a motion by one representative from Bauchi, which resulted in its adoption and later setting up a committee.
“They even visited Bauchi and reported back to the plenary for the House of Representatives, which already a decision was taken, given a four weeks ultimatum to the State Governor within which to issue a fresh proclamation for proper inauguration of the state assembly to take place.
“So we have briefed Mr President being the leader of our party and father of the country and a custodian of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as amended, to seek his advise. “
When asked on the position of the constitution regarding proclamation and if it was right to make proclamation two times, the factional speaker said, “I don’t want to go into the details. But what actually happened was, on the day the initial proclamation was made was for a date which was Thursday, a time of 10am and a venue of the House of Assembly Chambers. All of us especially of the APC were ready in compliance with the invitation. We arrived in the chamber at 7:53am and to our dismay as at the time of our arrival, 11 out of the 31 members of the assembly members were already there and had conducted election for the speaker and other principal officers. “
“So what we did since the invitation letter was reading 10am, we decided to wait in the chamber. But unfortunately just as we were trying to wait at the chamber, a teargas was released forcing us to leave the chamber and one of us who is an asthmatic patient was affected and rushed to hospital. What we did was to comply with the constitutional provisions of waiting for 10 o’clock which we did.
“We gave an additional time of one hour to see if the governor and other members would come so we can do the needful but they didn’t so we conducted our elections. That is how the second parallel leadership emerged.
“Since then there have been crisis, after the House of Representatives committee visited they met with all the critical stakeholders and conducted a public hearing which they received over twenty submissions from different groups and individuals and their report was submitted back.
“Their resolution was nullifying both our faction and their own and directed the governor to issue fresh proclamation for another inauguration to take place. “
Meanwhile President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday, in Abuja said that he will work with the relevant constitutional bodies to resolve the crises rocking the Houses of Assembly in Bauchi and Edo states.
The President stated this when he received in audience, members of the Bauchi House of Assembly as well as other stakeholders in the State.
“I am aware of the problem in Edo and Bauchi states and I try to appreciate my position as the President, the political situation vis a vis the constitution of our country, the role of the commissioners of police and the party. I always like to be on the side of the constitution,” President Buhari said.
He promised to liaise with the Minister of Justice when sworn in, and the Inspector General of Police, to ensure that the rights of the constituencies and individuals were not aba a used in any form.
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
Amid Opposition turmoil, no fewer than nine senators from different political parties formally announced their defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Thursday, further reshaping the political configuration of the Senate.
Those who declared for the party include the lawmaker representing Sokoto South, Aminu Tambuwal; his Abia South counterpart, Enyinnaya Abaribe; Binos Yaroe (Adamawa South); Victor Umeh (Anambra Central); Tony Nwoye (Anambra North); Lawal Usman (Kaduna Central); Ogoshi Onawo (Nasarawa South); Austin Akobundu (Abia Central); and Ireti Kingibe (Federal Capital Territory).
Their letters of defection were read on the floor of the Senate during Thursday’s plenary by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
In his letter, Nwoye attributed his decision to internal crises within the Labour Party.
“I wish to tender my resignation amid the ongoing multiple litigations within the Labour Party, which have significantly affected the cohesion and stability of the party.
“Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest esteem and regards,” Nwoye’s defection read.
Reacting after reading the letters, Akpabio welcomed the lawmakers to their new political platform but dismissed suggestions that the ruling All Progressives Congress was responsible for the wave of defections.
He said, “Deputy Senate President and Leader of the Senate, I hope you noticed that I have read (defections) from three different political parties now. So, you cannot accuse the ruling party of tampering with its leadership. Here, we have APGA, Labour, SDP, and all of them.
“So, all of them have a problem. They’ve not been able to put their parties together. So, the APC cannot be blamed for this.
“They are all out to ensure that we have what you call a minority status in this chamber, and I am very proud of them.”
The latest defections further underscore the continuing political realignments in the 10th Senate, where lawmakers have repeatedly switched party allegiances amid internal disputes within several opposition parties.
As of Thursday, the APC retains a dominant majority with 87 senators, while the Peoples Democratic Party has dwindled to seven members.
The ADC, boosted by the latest defections, now has seven senators in the chamber.
Other minority parties include the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), each of which has one senator, bringing the total membership of the Senate to 106.
The Labour Party and Social Democratic Party currently have no representation in the upper chamber following the latest defections.
Director of Research of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Dr. Akin Fapohunda, has warned that mega bucks and brute force will determine the eventual winner of next year’s presidential election.
Speaking against the backdrop of concerns regarding the intense competition and the significant influence of financial resources in the upcoming electoral cycle, Dr Fapohunda speculated that what the 31 All Progressives Congress (APC), Governors need to do is to dedicate their four-month Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations to ‘buy’ the election.
He said given the spiralling hunger in the land, all the ruling Party will need to do is give each voter N20,000 and N50,000 instead of the usual N5,000, for them to vote and guarantee winning the election at all costs.
According to him: “We now have 31 Governors who are in one basket; all they need to do is to devote the four-month FAAC allocation to buy whatever is ready to be bought. You can’t beat that. Any money that comes, even if it’s from the devil, people will take it.
“If you vote, don’t collect N5,000, collect N20,000, N50,000; that’s what is going to happen. So, whosoever has might, will win.
“Election is war, everything is fair when you are fighting a war. If APC has the tools to defeat ADC and PDP, they are in a war front. It’s a war, in a do-or-die situation, who wants to die?
“APC wants to live and others must die. Until we change the rules and bring the temperature down to a civilised society, everything is fair.”
Also commenting on Afenifere’s position about restructuring, Fapohunda said the organisation has submitted a demand for restructuring and creation of western Nigeria to the National Assembly, insisting that contrary to insinuations in some circles, restructuring is not a recipe for anarchy.
Dr Fapohunda, who explained that restructuring will be voluntary to all entities, with a referendum prepared by the association to make it open and fair to all, said: “Restructuring is not a recipe for anarchy. In Yoruba land, we have six states, but it might be eight; we are looking at Kogi and Kwara States because they are Yoruba people too. It’s going to be voluntary; it won’t be by force.”
Citing an example with the Yoruba nation, the Afenifere Research Director said: “In Yoruba land, we have 26 entities, Ijebu is Ijebu, Osogbo is Osogbo, Oyo is Oyo, Ibadan is Ibadan, among others”, adding that: “They have different dialects but they are Yoruba people and they are free to be on their own.”
The Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, has commended Gov. Monday Okpebholo’s achievements, particularly on road projects in Edo.
Oba spoke on Wednesday, when the Commissioner for Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Chris Okaeben, and his management team visited the Palace.
Ewuare urged the government to continue to execute people-centred projects for the overall progress and development of the state.
He expressed the hope that the development of the road infrastructure would stimulate economic growth and enhance the wellbeing of Edo people and Nigerians in general.
He also urged the governor to strengthen social cohesion and provide governance that would positively impact the lives of the Edo residents, in spite of deliberate criticisms by some individuals.
“We haven’t seen an overhead bridge like this in Edo before.
“It’s during his tenure that we’re seeing this kind. Some people deliberately criticise the governor,” he said.
The commissioner recalled his long-standing relationship with the Oba’s family and solicited for his prayer and blessings.
Following his request, the Toghobaghase of Benin, Chief Agbonavbare Egharevba, offered prayer for him on behalf of the royal father.
The governor’s focus on road development has been remarkable, with several ongoing projects to improve connectivity and facilitate economic growth in the state.
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