Dogara concedes House Leader to Gbajabiamila camp

In the spirit of reconciliation in the House of Representatives, the camp supporting Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has announced conceding the position of the House Leader to the camp supporting Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

Dogara and Gbajabiamila

But the speaker’s camp also made it clear that the nominee for the House Leader position will neither come from the South-West nor the North-East in the spirit of equity and federal character, noting that the two zones have already occupied their slots.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, yesterday, spokesman of the Dogara group Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, said after the reconciliatory meeting as directed by the All Progressives Congress, APC, which was headed by the immediate former speaker and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, the Dogara camp decided to concede to Gbajabiamila camp the position of House Leader.

He said that if the camp turned down the offer, the only option would be to conduct election on the floor of the House by the APC members in accordance with the provisions of the House Rules.

He further said that his camp did not recognise the letter from the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, which he said did not pass through the National Executive Committee of the party and the House caucus or the recognised legal process.

He said while ceding the position of leader to the Gbajabiamila camp, it was made clear that sharing the six principal officers of the House must be in tandem with the constitution as regards the federal character, adding that it will be unfair to exclude any geopolitical zone in sharing positions.

He said: “The Governor of Sokoto State met with Femi Gbajabiamila and his group. Yesterday, he met with us and we also had a lengthy meeting, at some point heated. We wish to appreciate Mr. Speaker for tolerating all our actions at the meeting to be able to stand firm.

“Concessions were made completely against the original plan that we went to the meeting with. This morning, we received lots of phone calls, under normal circumstances we are not supposed to make a public statement on this.

“Because of the information going round and in order to put the record straight, I have been mandated as the spokesman of the group to make some few comments.

“As regards some of the things that transpired at the meeting, of course the details would be made public when the entire process is concluded.

“We went to the meeting and you have always known our position. We believe that we did not go against any provisions of the laws of the party or the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in electing the speaker or his deputy.

“We also believe that there should be a level playing ground for everyone in terms of the occupation of the remaining offices of principal officers that has always been our position.

“But after a very lengthy meeting with His Execelleny, the immediate past speaker and Governor of Sokoto State, we were able to make a far-reaching concession and this is to allow for peace to reign in the House.
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