Politics
Pro-Gbajabiamila Lawmakers Accuse Speaker, Deputy Of Anti-Party Roles
Members of the 8th Rivers State House of Assembly voting in favour of a motion mandating the State Governor to dissolve the state Local Government Service Commission, yesterday.
Members of the House
of Representatives who are in support of Hon Femi Gbajabiamila have accused the House speaker, Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara and his group of anti-party activities.
The pro-Gbajabiamila lawmakers, while briefing president Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday evening, at the conference Hall of the First Lady’s office inside the Presidential Villa Abuja, alleged that the pro-Dogara Lawmakers colluded with the opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to polarise the All Progressives Congress (APC) to give them room for defection to the PDP.
The meeting which was held behind closed-doors had Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and 30 lawmakers led by Gbajabiamila in attendance.
Copies of their presentation to the president were made available to journalists at the end of the meeting.
Members of the House elected on the platform of the APC have been locked in crisis over the election of the House Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Dogara and Hon. Lasun emerged the Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively, contrary to the directives of the party to vote for Hon. Gbajabiamila and Hon Mohammed Mangunu for the two positions.
While 174 APC lawmakers obeyed their party’s directives to vote for Gbajabiamila and Mongunu, 39 other APC members formed an alliance with the opposition to elect Dogara and Lagun as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.
The APC became more polarized following the refusal of the speaker to announce the party’s choice for the four remaining principal officers of the House, resulting in free-for-all.
The APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, had in a letter dated June 22, 2015 and addressed to the speaker, nominated Gbajabiamila as the House majority leader, Alhassan Doguwa as Deputy majority leader, Mohammed Monguno as Chief Whip and Pally Iriase as Deputy Chief Whip.
In their presentation to the president on Wednesday, the pro-Gbajabiamila lawmakers called for the intervention of the president in order to save the party’s integrity.
They demanded that Dogara be asked to return to their fold and announce the other four principal officers positions in the House as directed by the party.
Part of the presentation reads. “It is noteworthy that Mr President and the governors had strongly put their weight behind the party and had severally admonished the House to abide by the party’s position.
“The 39 APC members in the House (Pro-Dogara) continue to collude with the PDP to flagrantly disobey Mr President, the governors and the party with a view to bringing the party and government to ridicule before Nigerians.
“The conduct of the 39 APC members colluding with the PDP is tantamount to affront, intimately targeted at polarising our party so as to give room for many of them to decamp to the PDP.
Boye Salau
Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, on Monday, passed a vote of confidence in Mojisola Meranda as the Speaker of the Assembly.
The lawmakers expressed their confidence in her leadership at the plenary, which Rt Hon. Meranda presided over amidst tight security.
The Tide’s source reports that there was a growing tension at the assembly as legislative workers protested against the alleged plans to remove Rt Hon. Meranda as the Speaker of the Assembly.
The legislative workers also clashed with the operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) who, in the early hours of Monday, stormed the assembly and sealed Rt Hon. Meranda’s office alongside that of her Deputy and the Clerk.
Our source had reported how armed security personnel took over the complex at Alausa, Ikeja, leading to palpable tension among the lawmakers and workers of the assembly.
There are indications that the ongoing imbroglio at the assembly following the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker on January 13 has not abated.
The Monday’s drama came a few days after Mr Obasa, who was removed for alleged abuse of office and corruption, dragged the state lawmakers to court, challenging his removal as the Speaker of the Assembly.
There are alleged plans to return Mr Obasa as the Speaker, a development which has further heightened tension at the assembly.
The Tide’s source reports that when Meranda arrived the assembly complex amidst tight security around 11:15 am on Monday, many legislative workers showed solidarity with the first female Speaker over alleged plans to remove her.
“Meranda we want”, “Meranda We want”, the workers were chanting in a short video clip.
Rt Hon. Meranda visibly overwhelmed by emotion was surrounded by her security details amid the chaotic atmosphere.
Inside the chamber, officials of the DSS clashed with the legislative workers, leading to commotion.
The DSS officials, dressed in black jackets and helmets and armed with weapons, struggled with the workers at the door.
The Tide’s source gathered that, with support from the legislative workers, lawmakers had earlier forced their way into the chamber around 12:30 pm.
It was further gathered that Rt Hon Meranda and about 32 members were present at the plenary.
A short video clip of the plenary showed that all the lawmakers in attendance had passed a vote of confidence on Rt Hon Meranda.
“Madam Speaker, all members standing before you, I move a motion to say that we do pass the vote of confidence on Rt Hon Mojisola Lasbat Meranda”, a lawmaker said.
The motion was supported by all members in attendance.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, on Monday, traded words over the alleged killing of three persons.
Members of both parties were locked in battle for the control of some local government secretariats. While two persons were killed in Iragbiji in Boripe Local Government Area, another was killed in Irewole Local Government Area.
There had been tension across the state over the Court of Appeal judgment in respect of the sacked APC council chairmen and councillors.
While the PDP claimed that the Feb. 10 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Akure, did not reinstate the sacked APC chairmen and councillors elected in 2022, APC insisted on their return.
Speaking with journalists in Iragbiji, Korede Ajeigbe, the commissioner for government affairs and protocol, claimed that two PDP members were killed while trying to prevent APC members from taking over a secretariat.
Mr Ajeigbe also said that six PDP members were seriously injured and were currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
APC, however, alleged that PDP members attacked its members while trying to enforce the Court of Appeal judgment.
Addressing a news conference in Osogbo, Bayo Adeleke, a chieftain of the APC, claimed that one of the party’s prominent members was killed during the crisis.
He also alleged that another member of the party, Remi Omowaye, escaped an assassination attempt in Ilesa.
Mr Adeleke, a former commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, urged the state government to allow peace to reign by allowing the APC chairmen and councillors to return to office.
Another chieftain of the party, Jamiu Olawumi, claimed that APC chairmen had resumed in 15 local governments of the state.
This claim, however, could not be immediately verified.
When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, CSP Yemisi Opalola, said she was yet to be briefed on the alleged killings.
Ms Opalola, however, said police officers had been deployed to all the local government secretariats in the state to prevent breakdown of law and order.
Meanwhile, Gov. Ademola Adeleke has directed workers as well as politicians to stay away from local government secretariats to avoid further bloodshed.
Mr Adeleke, in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said only security agents would be allowed to keep watch at the secretariats.
He condoled with families of victims of the crisis.
Leader of the 8th Opobo/Nkoro Legislative Assembly, Barrister Samuel Nengia, has passed a vote of confidence on the Chairman of the LGA, Dr. Enyiada Cookey-Gam, as he marked his first one hundred days in his second term in office.
Speaking with newsmen recently in Port-Harcourt on Dr Cookey-Gam and the celebration of his first one hundred days in office, among other people-oriented development projects and programmes, Nengia argued that the Chairman and his team have recorded unprecedented developmental strides, which includes infrastructure transformation, empowerment, security, human capital development, payment of the approved N85,000. 00 minimum wage to Opobo/Nkoro workers’, among others.
He pointed out that his commendation was apt as the activities of the Chairman had been monitored and discovered to reflect the expectations and yearnings of the people, especially, the promotion of council staff, the refurbishment of the Assembly Complex to standard, the construction of Corpers’ Lodge, the provision of effective transportation system for the well-being of the people in the area.
Hon. Nengia, representing Opobo/Nkoro Ward 6, averred that the people of the LGA could now sleep with their eyes closed owing to Dr Cookey-Gam’s achievements in in the security sector.
He added that the vote of confidence the Council’s number one citizen would strengthen him to deliver more democratic dividends to Opobo/Nkoro people.
He admonished Opobo/Nkoro people to rally support for the Chairman to perform creditably well for the well-being of the electorate in the area.
Meanwhile, Barr. Samuel Nengia, has thanked Governor Siminalayi Fubara for appointing three illustrious sons of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area into positions of trust vis former Commissioner for Education, Dr. Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja, as Chairman, Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission; former Secretary of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, Engr. Edward Namiesimagha, as Chairman, Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) and Surveyor Peter Ogolo, as Surveyor-, General of the state.
Hon. Nengia, who described the appointments as well deserved, however, enjoined the appointees to bring their leadership wealth of experience to bear in the herculean tasks of reviving their various areas of jurisdiction.
Bethel Toby