ACN,CPC to stop PDP Fsvourites for House of Reps, Senate Leadership

WITH the inauguration of the new National Assembly just 13 days away, the battle for leadership is getting tougher.



Senate President David Mark is interested in keeping the seat. Some interests, including the Presidency, are believed to be pushing Muraina Saubana Ajibola, who is from Oyo State, for Speaker. Mark and Ajibola are of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ajibola is also seen as the candidate of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
But Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) hinted yesterday of a grand plan by opposition parties to stop the PDP from foisting its candidates on the Assembly.
CPC chair Tony Momoh spoke in Abuja of an alliance of parties, such as the Action Congress of Nigeria (AC N), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and others, even as some PDP chiefs launched a sales drive for its agenda.

Momoh, who spoke to reporters shortly after opening a one-day workshop for the party’s elected candidates, also dismissed insinuations that the CPC was against President Goodluck Jonathan’s inauguration on Sunday.

He said: "May 29th is an occasion that must come and go. Elections have been held, results have been declared and Jonathan has been declared as President and CPC has gone to court to challenge it. But that does not mean that there would not be a swearing-in. We have nothing against the inauguration of the President."

Momoh said the CPC believes in the rule of law and would allow due process to prevail on its protest against the result of the presidential election. 

"CPC is in court to challenge the result of the presidential election and if the court deems it fit to annul the polls, well Jonathan would be asked to go. The due process is that the elected president is sworn in and then if the court finds out that it was a flawed election, he would be removed," Momoh said.
When asked to comment on the raging debate over the ranking procedure adopted by the PDP-dominated National Assembly to choose principal officers, Momoh flayed the idea, saying CPC would work to stop the plan. 

"What I can tell you is that CPC will co-operate with other members of the opposition in the National Assembly to decide on the way forward. On the day of voting, opposition will decide where to go. We are working together with other opposition parties to decide who the principal officers will be," he said.
Speaking in a similar vein, newly elected House member, representing Nasarawa Federal Constituency in Kano state, Mallam Narisu Ali Ahmed, said the argument behind the ranking procedure was untenable. Among the new lawmakers are highly experienced technocrats and persons with proven integrity who can perform any function assigned to them creditably, he said.

Speaking to the party’s elected members, Momoh enjoined them to ensure the supremacy of the constitution in all that they do.

Describing the elected members as "Storm troopers" of CPC, Momoh urged them to work for real change in governance and not to be part of the ills of the society.

Also in Abuja, a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, the party’s acting National Chairman, Dr. Haliru Bello Mohammed, and some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) last night met with members-elect of the House.

The meeting was part of steps by the Presidency to woo the members-elect to support Ajibola.
Another group, which is opposed to Ajibola’s ambition, met with some members-elect at the NICON Luxury Hotel in Abuja, seeking support for a candidate from the Northwest.

The session with the Anenih group recorded a low turnout; but the Luxury Hotel meeting was well-attended.
The PDP leaders met with the House members-elect in Maitama District.
Anenih and Mohammed rode in the same SUV to the meeting at about 8.20pm.
It was gathered that the session, which was attended by Ajibola, was aimed at urging PDP members-elect to back President Jonathan’s candidate.

There were indications that Anenih was also using the opportunity to seek support for his political godson, Hon. Friday Itulah, who is believed to be interested in becoming the House Leader.
A member of the House at the meeting said: "The meeting was all in support of zoning; we want zoning to be respected.

"The party leaders have told us that Ajibola is the official candidate of the President and the PDP. They said we must do everything to abide by the party’s decision to concede the speakership to the Southwest.
"They asked us, especially returning members, to ensure that the Open-Secret Voting System in electing a new Speaker is reversed by the House.

"We have already set up state co-ordinators to mobilise members-elect for Ajibola. That is what the President wants."
Also yesterday, Speaker Dimeji Bankole told new members-elect to be wise in their choice of his successor.
Bankole spoke to the members-elect when they visited him. He said: "The next thing to do is to elect your new leadership. Be wise about it; at the end of the four years; the end matters."

The spokesman of the new members-elect, Abdul Mumuni Jubril, said the visit was to share the Speaker’s experience and learn how best to work in the 7th National Assembly.

He said they expected the leadership to have organised an interactive session between the new members and the principal officers, but they took the initiative in the absence of such an arrangement.

The new members’ meeting with the Speaker lasted for over an hour.


Also yesterday, the ambition of Deputy Whip of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal, to become speaker suffered a setback. The lawmakers from the Northeast rejected his ambition.

Speaking with reporters yesterday, the Northeast Zonal Caucus in the House said they were standing by the arrangement of political offices at the national level, which puts deputy speaker in their zone.

Chairman of the Northeast zonal caucus Hon. Anthony Madwattte said the caucus met on Tuesday and resolved to maintain the status quo.

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