Barely 48 hours to the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly, four aspirants for House Speaker and some former Speaker Yakubu Dogara’s supporters are ganging up against the choice of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, The Nation learnt last night.
The aspirants are Nkiruka Onyejeocha (Abia); Olatunbosun Olajide; John Dyegh (Benue); and Umar Bago (Niger).
Also, plans to disrupt voting during tomorrow’s inauguration of the House have been uncovered.Security agencies are said to be probing the plot to disrupt the inaugural session.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that Dogara’s supporters met secretly with the four aspirants at a posh hotel in Abuja.
It was agreed that three of the four aspirants plan to step down for either Bago or Dyegh.
A source said: “Some loyalists of Dogara, PDP leaders and few anti-party APC lawmakers were at the meeting. They designed plans to prosecute their ambition in defiance of party’s directive.
“They decided to pool resources as part of the gang-up against Gbajabiamila. They have been mobilising war chest to share to select members-elect on the night before election in the various hotels where members have been lodged by the National Assembly management.
“Although the NASS management has made provision for use of ballot boxes and voting cubicle, those in this group have designed a Plan B.
“Part of the Plan B is to disrupt vote counting if Gbajabiamila appears to be leading. Some lawmakers will just go and snatch the ballot box.
“If Security is tight, they will smash the boxes with ballot papers to be scattered on the floor.”
The Director-General of the Gbajabiamila/Wase Campaign Group, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, said: “Let them gang up; they do not have the number.
“There is nothing they can do to stop the emergence of Gbajabiamila and Wase as the leaders of the House.”
Bago Campaign Organisation spokesman Hon. Victor Ogene admitted that the group’s candidate had been meeting with others.
He said Bago and his supporters have no plans to disrupt voting.
He said if any group had fears and could be jittery, it was the Gbajabiamila camp.
Ogene said: “I do know that some of them (the four aspirants) have been talking because they seem to have a point of convergence on fairness, equity and justice which Bago stands for.
“I can confirm that the aspirants have been meeting. As I am talking to you now, I am not close to them but Bago has been meeting with members-elect. I don’t sit in some of these strategic sessions. But I do know that the aspirants have been meeting.”
Concerning plans to disrupt the voting, Ogene said: “Bago and others do not have such a plan. Why will they have such a plan? The National Assembly management has announced that it will stick to the voting procedure; we have no cause to interrupt the voting process.
“It is Gbajabiamila’s camp that has fears and uncomfortable with the voting method. They might be the one that will be desperate to disrupt the election if it does not favour them. The same people have four years to change the rules but they did nothing.
“We are not thinking in that light (disruption). We have always insisted on the right thing being done.”
Also, plans to disrupt voting during tomorrow’s inauguration of the House have been uncovered.Security agencies are said to be probing the plot to disrupt the inaugural session.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that Dogara’s supporters met secretly with the four aspirants at a posh hotel in Abuja.
It was agreed that three of the four aspirants plan to step down for either Bago or Dyegh.
A source said: “Some loyalists of Dogara, PDP leaders and few anti-party APC lawmakers were at the meeting. They designed plans to prosecute their ambition in defiance of party’s directive.
“They decided to pool resources as part of the gang-up against Gbajabiamila. They have been mobilising war chest to share to select members-elect on the night before election in the various hotels where members have been lodged by the National Assembly management.
“Although the NASS management has made provision for use of ballot boxes and voting cubicle, those in this group have designed a Plan B.
“Part of the Plan B is to disrupt vote counting if Gbajabiamila appears to be leading. Some lawmakers will just go and snatch the ballot box.
“If Security is tight, they will smash the boxes with ballot papers to be scattered on the floor.”
The Director-General of the Gbajabiamila/Wase Campaign Group, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, said: “Let them gang up; they do not have the number.
“There is nothing they can do to stop the emergence of Gbajabiamila and Wase as the leaders of the House.”
Bago Campaign Organisation spokesman Hon. Victor Ogene admitted that the group’s candidate had been meeting with others.
He said Bago and his supporters have no plans to disrupt voting.
He said if any group had fears and could be jittery, it was the Gbajabiamila camp.
Ogene said: “I do know that some of them (the four aspirants) have been talking because they seem to have a point of convergence on fairness, equity and justice which Bago stands for.
“I can confirm that the aspirants have been meeting. As I am talking to you now, I am not close to them but Bago has been meeting with members-elect. I don’t sit in some of these strategic sessions. But I do know that the aspirants have been meeting.”
Concerning plans to disrupt the voting, Ogene said: “Bago and others do not have such a plan. Why will they have such a plan? The National Assembly management has announced that it will stick to the voting procedure; we have no cause to interrupt the voting process.
“It is Gbajabiamila’s camp that has fears and uncomfortable with the voting method. They might be the one that will be desperate to disrupt the election if it does not favour them. The same people have four years to change the rules but they did nothing.
“We are not thinking in that light (disruption). We have always insisted on the right thing being done.”
