A leadership tussle among pro-President Muhammadu
Buhari elements in the House of Representatives is threatening the unity of the
larger All Progressives Congress caucus of the House.
Investigations showed that at the centre of the
quarrel were the Leader of the House, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila; the Coordinator of
the Parliamentary Support Group, Mr Abdulmumin Jibrin; and a lawmaker from
Sokoto State, Mr Musa Serkin-Ada.
Serkin-Ada heads another group, the Buhari Loyalists
Group.
The APC caucus, the PSG and the loyalists are all
pro-Buhari, with the agenda of ensuring the President’s re-election in 2019.
However, Gbajabiamila had reportedly questioned the
relevance of other groups within the APC caucus when the caucus as a block, had
the numerical strength to work together for the President’s success.
On the other hand, Jibrin has lately accused
Gbajabiamila of using his opposition to the PSG to destroy it and other groups
for the sole aim of promoting his own agenda of becoming the speaker of the
House.
Jibrin also doubted the unity of the APC caucus under
the leadership of Gbajabiamila.
He accused him of “selectively” inviting members to
hold night meetings with the National Chairman of the APC, Mr Adams Oshiomhole.
Jibrin claimed that Gbajabiamila’s aim was to plot the
impeachment of the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, to pave the way for him
(Gbajabiamila) to succeed Dogara.
In a text message Jibrin circulated to members on
Wednesday, he wrote, “How can the House leader claim that there is one APC
caucus when it is a known fact that invitations to caucus meetings are
selective? We all know that many of us were not notified/invited to the last
caucus meeting with the national chairman for reasons best known to him.
“We want to make it categorically clear to Hon. Femi
(Gbajabiamila) that he has not demonstrated uprightness, fairness, equity and
justice. (He has) failed to carry everyone along and so some of us cannot trust
and follow him as the leader of our caucus. We will announce our own leader on
resumption.
“We will pick a competent member from the South-West
to lead us. There are many of them in the House. Everything from South-West
mustn’t go to Femi. We will meet the national chairman and Asiwaju (Bola
Tinubu) to lay our case.”
Further accusing Gbajabiamila of nursing a personal
ambition and plotting to destroy the PSG, Jibrin wrote, “We will not allow
anybody to take advantage of our caucus and his so-called support for our party
and Buhari to foster his personal ambition. He has never stood for the party or
the President except when he wants to advance his personal ambition. It is time
to give others from the South-West the opportunity.
“The inclusion and exclusion style of Hon. Femi has
inflicted collateral damage on the unity of our caucus which has resulted in
the present factions. And it is time to deal with it before he destroys our
party.
“After making spirited but failed attempts through
subterranean means to destroy the Parliamentary Support Group, he has
factionalised the APC. Is that how he wants to lead?”
The Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr Yussuff Lasun, was
one of those reportedly not invited to the recent meeting with Oshiomhole on
the suspicion that he might hold contrary views to that of the APC.
But, when his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Wole
Oladimeji, was contacted for comments, he said his boss was invited and fully
participated in the meeting.
“The DS was duly invited. He was there from the
beginning till the end”, Oladimeji informed.
Findings indicated that though Gbajabiamila nursed the
ambition of becoming the speaker, he was targeting 2019 and not the impeachment
of Dogara.
“They are mixing things up. Gbajabiamila wants to
return in 2019 to be the speaker. Yes, he is mobilising for 2019 and if
anything, he believes that a united APC caucus will serve his interest better.
He has campaigned for the APC to remain one”, one senior parliamentary official
said.
Gbajabiamila
did not respond to the allegations raised by Jibrin, the Lagos lawyer as he declined
to speak.
He replied tersely, “No comments.”
Another top official of the House reduced the issue to
simply “leadership tussle” within the Buhari support groups.
The official explained, “Jibrin has led the PSG and
active in the loyalists group.
“Problems started after some members held the view
that all the groups should merge and have Serkin-Ada as the chairman, thereby
leaving Jibrin out.
“Even the APC House caucus too is insisting that it is
strong as a body to work for Mr President, hence these so-called support groups
are not necessary.”
The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs,
Mr Abdulrazak Namdas, said he would not speak on the disagreement within the
groups because it was not a House matter.
Efforts made on Wednesday to get Serkin-Ada’s comments
failed as well.
On his part, the Chief Whip of the House, Mr Alhassan
Ado-Doguwa, dismissed the allegations of Jibrin as they concerned
Gbajabiamila’s plot to become the speaker.
Ado-Doguwa also said Gbajabiamila’s seat was not under
threat either, but he admitted that there was a leadership dispute within the
pro-Buhari groups.
He stated, “Gbajabiamila is still our leader and to
the best of my knowledge, we are all working in harmony with one another as
leaders of the APC caucus in the House. Dogara is still a loyal member of the
APC. I also want to categorically say that we as a caucus, have no plans whatsoever
to impeach Dogara as our speaker
“I am also sure that Gbajabiamila too does not as an
individual have any such plans. We are proud to say that our ranks in the House
have not been broken like is the case in the Senate.
“The only problem I know with Buhari/Parliamentary
Support Group is about its protem leadership, which resulted in a slight
leadership tussle between Sarkin-Ada as
its chairman or chief coordinator and another
contending member.”
Punch
Punch
2019: Leadership tussle threatens Reps APC caucus
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Thursday, August 23, 2018
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