HEAVY pressure is being mounted on returning members of the Action Congress of Nigeria in the House of Representatives from the South-West to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party.


Investigations showed that this pressure is coming from some powerful stalwarts of the PDP in the South West who want to shore up the numerical strength of the PDP House members from the zone in a bid to enhance the zone’s chances of retaining the seat of the Speaker of the House.


At the moment, there are three PDP House members from the zone in the House, namely, Ajibola Muraina, Mulikat Adeola and Odebunmi Dokun.


The development came as politicians from the South-East and the South-West spent the weekend lobbying to clinch the number four position in the country.


Already, the Chief Whip of the House, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha; the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Mr. Bethel Amadi; the Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, Mr. Ezuiche Ubani; and the Chairman of the Committee on Banking/Currency, Mr. Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, have expressed their desire to be the next speaker. They are all from the South-East.


Another likely candidate from the South-East, the Chairman of the House Committee on Marine Transport, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, is said to enjoy the support of many lawmakers, though he has not declared his intention to vie for the seat.


Muraina, a lawyer and protégé of former President Olusegun, is said to be the favourite of some power brokers to get the seat among the three PDP members from the South-West.


Muraina came to the House in 2007, the same time as Adeola. Dokun is a new member. The three are from Oyo State.


Adeola, a lawyer was reported to have told to some of her colleagues that she was as qualified as Muraina to clinch the seat, wondering why her name was hardly mentioned in the calculations.


It was learnt on Sunday that some PDP power brokers in the South-West were using their contacts within and outside the National Assembly to persuade the ACN members to defect and contest to become the Speaker of the House.


A source in the National Assembly said, “It is no longer hidden that some forces in the zone are fighting to retain the position of the Speaker.


“This was a pre-election understanding but the poor performance of the PDP has led to the negligible number of its members in the House.


“The defection idea is to increase the number of PDP members in the House from the zone and also to enhance the zone’s chances of retaining the Speaker’s seat.


“Those being wooed are also being reminded of the fact that they stand a chance of becoming the Speaker.”


Findings indicated that besides raising the number of PDP members, the defection idea was to widen the choices of candidates, besides Muraina and Adeola, should the seat be retained in the zone.


It was learnt that some key members of the ACN from the zone had allegedly agreed to serve as “contact points” the defection proposal.


Two lawmakers from the zone confided in The PUNCH in Abuja that they had been approached to defect to the PDP.


One of them said, “They have been bombarding me with telephone calls.


“But, this is a dicey situation; they say they are looking for at least 10 members (defectors).


“This is not the type of decision you wake up one day and say, I accept.”


However, another lawmaker and a third-timer, dismissed the proposal as “an impossibility.”


The lawmaker argued that the ACN would oppose any plan to sacrifice its membership on the altar of helping the PDP to retain the seat of the speaker in the South-West.


The lawmaker added, “The odds will be against any ACN member who accepts to defect.


“The member will surely face a hostile home front because it will be considered a betrayal of trust.


“Besides, the governors in the zone now are of the ACN apart from one (Ondo State). The proposal will not work.”


A separate account said that rather than losing its members to the PDP, the ACN caucus in the House might offer its bloc vote to any PDP candidate from the zone, who would contest for the position of Speaker.


Asked to comment on the issue, the Minority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila (ACN, Lagos State), said that no ACN member would defect to the PDP, no matter the pressure.


He said, “Nobody in ACN is going anywhere; they must be kidding. We are intact. “There is nothing like that; it will not happen.


“What I do know is that the House will produce the Speaker that it wants, zoning or no zoning.


“They can zone it to anywhere; our concern is that the House will elect a Speaker that members want.”


According to Gbajabiamila, the House may elect a Speaker who is not “even in the calculations right now.”


But, a source close to the ACN lawmakers claimed that the minority leader was “economical with the truth.”


He said, “There has been pressure on ACN lawmakers; as a matter of fact, they have used the position of speaker and deputy speaker to woo them in the hope to secure one of the positions for the zone.


“In the course of the discussions, a member was offered the position of deputy speaker as an alternative, should the zone fail to secure the speakership.”


Source

Are we about to witness another mass carpet-crossing?

Rubbish post and silly title ,

I dey laff

maybe you should face the OBJ/GEJ who is tormenting you instead of shedding tears about the ACN

ekt_bear:

I dey laff

maybe you should face the OBJ/GEJ who is tormenting you instead of shedding tears about the ACN

If this happens, I need no soothsayer to tell me what will happen in the SW in 2015. ACN evaporates like AD and there comes another party formed by Fashola, FCN (Fashola Company of Nigeria), and every Yoruba will shout, thank goodness, another messiah has come to save the Yoruba people.

Total rubbish.

With the anti PDP sentiments prevalent in the SW, any rep who decamos would be recalled by his constituency within weeks.

Electorates voted against PDP and next thing you want to give them PDP against their choice.

I dey laff oooohhh

Political prostitutes.

This is PDP's strategy to decapitate ACN like they did to ANPP four years ago. The plan:

1. Offer ACN a "government of national unity" - for this to work Tinubu was to be damaged and caused to lose control of ACN.
2. Dangle speakership in front of ACN members to cause them to defect to PDP.

PDP is ever the "price is right party".

I think ACN members know they are at the NA for a mission to rescue Nigeria from the sorry spectacle of the PDP run NA, not to join them. They should expect to pay if they show themselves inducable.

If the SW cared so much about the speakership it would have voted to keep Bankole and the other political jobbers that were busy fighting over spoils of office while the country burned this last 4 years.

If ACN agreed to a GNU, watch for them to be tucked away in obscure ministries and kicked out as soon as the decimation is complete.

Nigeria does not need an arrangee government. Let the party in control of the center take up leadership and take credit for successes, but also be ready to own-up for failures of its administration. This of course does not mean that members of different parties cannot serve in the PDP government. There is just no need for a GNU.

Obiagu1:

If this happens, I need no soothsayer to tell me what will happen in the SW in 2015. ACN evaporates like AD and there comes another party formed by Fashola, FCN (Fashola Company of Nigeria), and every Yoruba will shout, thank goodness, another messiah has come to save the Yoruba people.

So, what is wrong with that - in fact changing them like a pair of trousers that got stained is the way to go until our politicians learn they are not elected for their own enjoyment, but that of the people.

If you don't perform you go - simple as ABC. Parties are simply means to good governance, not the end. That is certainly much better than being powerless in the face of slavery-like administration.

Obiagu1:

If this happens, I need no soothsayer to tell me what will happen in the SW in 2015. ACN evaporates like AD and there comes another party formed by Fashola, FCN (Fashola Company of Nigeria), and every Yoruba will shout, thank goodness, another messiah has come to save the Yoruba people.

It will be fool-hardy for any ACN member in the House to decamp to PDP for whatever reason. If any of them does that, it would definitely signal the end of his political career in S/W.

Who is this guy How logical does it sound to you that a member will leave a winning party for that with impending failure. ACN is da ish right now. If you know what that means.

Why would any member of ACN in the SW want to decamp to the PDP? That is like shooting his career in the leg cos that is the end for that person. If he is not recalled, 2015 is out of the question

lol i dey lafff ohhh

Obiagu1:

Are we about to witness another mass carpet-crossing?

Chyz*:

Political love-peddlers.

did you not read the article it seems not ACN said the don't want any unity govt. you guys should be concerned with why PDP/GEJ/OBJ are kissing ACN members backside.es to occupy speaker position, while damn near fukin the SE in the yansh.

its funny as shiot

What is the point of wasting our time and money conducting elections only for people to change parties without loosing seat after election?

It is high time ACN collapses in entirety, it is just a tribal party and should not be encouraged.

Ngodigha:

It is high time ACN collapses in entirety, it is just a tribal party and should not be encouraged.

It is a national progressive party and should be encouraged,

Ngodigha:

It is high time ACN collapses in entirety, it is just a tribal party and should not be encouraged.

You are wrong dude. ACN is the only party in Nigeria if you understand what a party stands for.

Others are just a group of looters, especially PDP or VDV, the umblela party.

Very funny.

ACN will collapse into PDP only if Jonathan will step down for Fasola. That is d priced PDP has to pay to have ACN

mikeansy:

What is the point of wasting our time and money conducting elections only for people to change parties without loosing seat after election?

You are right, I still don't know why they haven't made it impossible for someone to runaway with a mandate a party gave him to another party. We are not America where it's permitted but very uncommon to crossover. In Nigeria, it's getting out of hand and should be checked; it pushes us to one party system.

lol

where were you folks who were against a one-party system when the elections actually were going on?

They are dreamers. PDP reminants in SW better wake up to the reality. infact I cant remember how many ACN members that decamped 4rom outgoing few ones talkless of now that they are many. Yeye people

Acn beware