Speakership: ACN Reps under pressure to defect to PDP
By John Ameh, Abuja   Monday, 9 May 2011      
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.”

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