Abuja – Moves by lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives to resolve crisis over sharing of Standing Committees failed on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a meeting by the factions of the lawmakers loyal to the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, and the House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, respectively, was the second in few days.
Tuesday’s meeting, which was hosted by the Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun, failed as the factions could not reach a consensus on the matter.
Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, Rep. Ahmed Kaita (Kano) a loyalist to Gbajabiamila, vowed that the group would resist any move by the opposition to be in control of the House.
Kaita, who also alleged that there was a plot to remove Gbajabiamila as the House Leader, stressed that such move would also be resisted.
He accused Dogara of skewing the composition of the committees in favour of the opposition, defying APC’s instruction on the matter.
“The APC as a party gave Dogara a clear-cut instruction five days ago and he was to report back to the party on Monday, but it was the same Monday that he decided to flout the rules of the party.
“While we were having a meeting in the National Headquarters, text messages were flying by the same group of people that do not want APC to succeed in this house, that Gbajabiamila was going to be removed.
“They actually planned it but we came and they couldn’t do it because they know that we hold the party and we have the majority, and as long as the house is not going to be dictated by PDP, we will resist it,’’ he said.
Kaita also alleged that Dogara was not aligning himself with APC manifesto in piloting the affairs of the house, adding that it was crucial for him to have the support of all APC lawmakers.
“If Dogara wants us to be with him, fine and good; he is one of our own and we don’t have any problem with being with him only if he can align himself with our party manifestos.
“But as long as he will be flouting the orders of the party, and as long as he will be instigating some unscrupulous members to say that they will remove preferred offices holders of the party, we will resist him,’’ he said.
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However, Chief Whip of the House, Rep. Alhassan Doguwa (Kano) dismissed allegations that there was misunderstanding in the leadership of the house.
“I want to tell you on behalf of the leadership that the leadership has no crack as far as I am concerned.
“I want to tell you precisely that by inaugurating the standing committees, the flight of the 8th House of Representatives has taken off successfully,’’ Doguwa said.
He also dismissed insinuations over plot to remove Gbajabiamila as Leader of the House, saying ‘’we have maintained status-quo for now, and Femi is our leader in the House of Representatives.
“Speculations made earlier on that there is any move, whatsoever to remove Femi as leader is unfounded and not from the leadership,’’ he added. (NAN)