The factional groups of the All Progressives Congress at the House of Representatives again refused to shift ground on Thursday on how the principal offices in the House should be shared.

The Speaker of the House, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, is leading one of the groups, while former Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, heads the other faction.

It became apparent since Wednesday that the peace committee chaired by the Governor of Sokoto State, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, had been unable to get the warring sides to reach a compromise.

Findings showed that the stalemate in the discussions to reconcile the two sides only pointed to the possibility of conducting caucus elections to elect the majority leader, deputy majority leader, chief whip and deputy whip of the House.

The group led by Gbajabiamila had insisted that any considerations outside the recommendation of the APC’s leadership on the sharing of the seats would not be entertained by its members.

The party had written the speaker that the South-West should produce the Majority Leader; North-West, Deputy Leader; North-East, Chief Whip; and South-South, Deputy Whip.

“That is where we stand; there is no other suggestion or purported agreement that is acceptable to us.

“We have made this point clear enough many times,” the group stated on Thursday.

It also insisted that by convention and the rules of the House, the two new members from the South-East were not qualified to hold principal positions, “being first timers who have no cognate experience as members of the National Assembly.”

The group added that the lack of qualification of the two members alone had defeated the argument of zonal representation “or Federal Character, which in itself is not justiceable. “

But, reacting on Wednesday, the spokesman for the 8th Assembly Consolidation Group, Dogara’s backers, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin, said the group had been magnanimous in conceding all four positions to Gbajabiamila’s.

He noted that it was only fair that the group should consider the interest of other zones besides the South-West and the North-East, in sharing the seats.

“In the election of the House principal officers, every geo-political zone of Nigeria deserves to be represented and it is embarrassing for some members of the House to dismiss the issue of equitable representation as ‘hogwash,’” he added.

Jibrin also dismissed the argument that the South-East lawmakers did not have cognate experience to occupy any of the positions.

He also asked why the Gbajabiamila group believed that the North-Central, which produced 33 members, did not deserve to have a seat.

Jibrin claimed that a member attained cognate experience soon after inauguration, adding that the rule was applicable to contesting a presiding officer’s position before inauguration.

http://www.punchng.com/news/seast-ncentral-must-have-principal-officers-dogara-insists/#sthash.nFRznl4t.dpuf

As if he cares

Can't this Gbaja see that the House is not interested in giving him the Majority Leader? At time we have to let somethings slide and stop fighting everywhere.

When you look at Gbaja via a prism, all you see is Tinubu.

I stand with the speaker on this. Gbaja should just select a NC/SE member from his loyalists and stop heating the polity unnecessarily. Our politicians need to learn that sometimes, they have to make some concessions in d interest of all

What of two principa, wayec. Na only yu waka come. Contunu

The progressives in reverse gear

yeaaa imo state has some APC Reps

This Dogara guy is the type of leader Nigeria needs now.

.

chukwudi44:
This Dogara guy is the type of leader Nigeria needs now.

Very principled. I hope he performs well, a good candidate for presidency in the future. Pairing him with a Southern Muslim can change the game.

What then happens to the people who insist on having deputy speaker and majority leader for betrayal rewards

Why is gbaja being so desperate? Oh, apc can only be satisfied when the northerners relaxes like zombies while the westerners hijacks everything in a sophisticated manner?

Mr dogara abeg stop patronizing NC, we tell u say we want one yeye principal Officer ni? Imagine dis nonsense, no be only principal na proprietor mtcheeeew.

It is common knowledge to every discerning mind that the principal offices of the NA should have federal character, but the kleptomaniac 'ojuyobo' called ebola tifnunbu wants to have it all. He thinks this is osun or Lagos state.

Dogara just earned my respect the more. He should continue to resist the evil called tinunbi and his cockroaches(boys), he has our support.

Snail Buhari

Sai Dogara!

chukwudi44:
This Dogara guy is the type of leader Nigeria needs now.

kikikikikikikiki jester

chukwudi44:
This Dogara guy is the type of leader Nigeria needs now.

So because of ordinary principal officers u don dey see Association of Past Criminals as a saint? Chai yeeboos

Tinubu let it go.... This northerners go rubbish u and your proxy o.

Click like for Dogara ..Share for Gbaja ..

GabrielSuswam:
yeaaa imo state has some APC Reps

They Are First Timers

Nice one Dogara. You must act constitutionally. Federal character must be respected.

Anikulhapo:
They Are First Timers

First timers can become principal officers. I think it's only elective positions that are reserved for old members.

GabrielSuswam:
yeaaa imo state has some APC Reps

Who are they? Are they ranking members?

The same Dogara that kicked against zoning and contested, defeating Gbajabiamila from the South West, where the Speakership was zoned, now talking about zoning? You can't have your cake and eat it. Gbajabiamila is the next Majority Leader.

ShowYourCertificate:
First timers can become principal officers. I think it's only elective positions that are reserved for old members.

You think? That means you are not sure. Don't discuss what you don't know.

OrlandoOwoh:
The same Dogara that kicked against zoning and contested, defeating Gbajabiamila from the South West, where the Speakership was zoned, now talking about zoning? You can't have your cake and eat it. Gbajabiamila is the next Majority Leader.

Stop dreaming.

Opolo eye and gbaja go and DIE.
#I_Hate_Mouth_Action.

Dogara has the goodwill of the house members which will go a long a way to solidify his stay on that seat till the next four years.

Gbaja can continue to pursue his ambition in Lagos state house of assembly since he really wants a majority leader position

Dogora should just do what he wants and stop aiding and abetting in prolonging the saga. Gbaja is simply all talk and no action. End this saga already!!

OrlandoOwoh:
The same Dogara that kicked against zoning and contested, defeating Gbajabiamila from the South West, where the Speakership was zoned, now talking about zoning? You can't have your cake and eat it. Gbajabiamila is the next Majority Leader.

see your empty skull. Even tinubu cant say that gbaja must be majority leader.

what dogara is doing is following PDP style of accommodating all regions, which is the best for Nigerian. APC (s/west) kicked against zoning because they felt they needed to occupy almost all positions, now their eyes are now fully open to the realities in Nigeria. that's y they keep being in opposition, they don't understand this complex country .

iykedare:


see your empty skull. Even tinubu cant say that gbaja must be majority leader.

Shut up.

We dont give a hoot about any positions in the National Assembly (After losing elections and being relegated to irrelevancy) - Wailing Igbos

All Hail Dogara and Saraki for giving us Positions , theyre the kind of leaders we need - Igbos

Funny eh