₦airaland Forum

omenka:
What happened in the National Assembly, especially the Senate, was highly provocative and condemnable. Had Buhari not been the democrat he is, those guys would have had the bums toasted by tear gas just as the immediate past admin did.

The Party's position should be held and respected over and above anyone else's personal opinions.

Very sad development for party politics honestly.

egift:
Am very happy for how the events of recent days have flipped PDP and their supporters to the Change Movement.

At the beginning when we first floated the possibility that Buhari will be elected President, man PDP handlers laughed at it. And dismissed it with a wave of the hand. Asked us to wake up from our dream. We smiled.

When the merger came, 5 Governors joined and the party formed - the same folks laughed and told tales of how it will be destroyed before our eyes. Even Okupe who spend time with Jonathan and earn millions from him, was so convinced he embraced the name of a Bastard.

Today, the rest is history. Buhari was victorious. Transition is peaceful. And APC has brought Change. And on daily basis, President Buhari is hitting it out of the pack and shaming those who told unprintable lies of how Nigeria will be in flames if he wins.

Now that the PDP have seen the light, competence and focus the APC team team led by our able President, they how bowed. All they have resorted to is to see if they can plant seeds of discord in the ranks and files of APC, spread bear-faced lies, blow things out of proportion and scramble for crumbs.

As we watch the agenda and programmes of President Buhari unfold and the new beginning of cleaning up the 16years mess of the PDP, we will keep our eyes on their dubious antics as they flip-flop and continue their rain of insults and name-calling.

One thing is clear, Change is here to stay.

NgeneUkwenu:
Good! Saraki is a Traitor and must treated as one!

omenka:
Since when has getting up to wobbly start not been part and parcel of our democratic experience. It happened under Salisu Buhari, it happened under Patricia Etteh, it happened under Evans Enwerem, Chuba Okadigbo (RIP), etc. The only time we didn't have such drama was during the return of Mark and Ekweremadu to their previously held positions, 2011. Why is APC's case exceptional?? Or was anyone expecting them to be perfect??

People should understand the import of the events of yesterday- democracy won and was deepened- a promise made and kept by the president even in his inaugural speech "I belong to no one...".

The nay sayers had already gone to town spreading falsehood even before the commencement of proceedings that the "Dictator" had struck again, preventing elected congressmen from having access into the complex. Some even went as far as saying "only pro-Saraki law makers were disallowed access into the complex"!!

Some said "the inauguration has been postponed", and called it a relapse into dictatorial era! Lies, lies, and more lies against the President while he carries on unperturbed, like the dogged democrat he is.

The winners might not have been the preferred candidates of the party whose decision should be supreme over all members of the party, but what has happened has happened and we can only forge ahead from there.

Just to add: I hear some people trying to advance the argument in support of a diluted NASS leadership saying we need a "vibrant opposition". My question is- can't the opposition be vibrant without her inclusion in such leadership positions?? Heck the immediate past opposition(s) did it for 15 years (excluding the "Tambuwal Year" and only emerged stronger. It is a shame PDP cannot survive under similar condition.

after1:
APC should stop crying and let us hear word. They did same for PDP in 2011, they should just move on and re-strategize.

ifyan:
I think PDP should teach them the game.

This four years will be fun.

No one should block my way.

Kai! My people

The emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively has, undoubtedly, altered political calculations within the All Progressives Congress.

Although the duo are members of the APC, their party showed preference for Senator Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila – for the two top positions in the National Assembly.

To demonstrate its seriousness, the party held mock elections on Saturday after which it announced Lawan and Gbajabiamila, as its sole candidates for the polls that took place in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

Saraki, Dogara and their supporters not only boycotted the shadow elections, they vowed to defy the party by mounting a challenge against the preferred candidates.

No doubt, the decision of the two to defy the party underscored a deep rift among the leading figures within the ruling party.

This was perhaps aptly shown by the reactions of party leaders after the emergence of the new leaders.

Members of the party’s National Working Committee held an emergency meeting after which they issued a statement rejecting Saraki and Dogara as the leaders of the National Assembly.

The party threatened sanctions against all its members involved in the process which produced the two in defiance of its directives.

Specifically, the party, in the statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said, “The APC leadership is meeting in a bid to re-establish discipline in the party and to mete out the necessary sanctions to all those involved in what is nothing but a monumental act of indiscipline and betrayal aimed at subjecting the party to ridicule and create obstacles for the new administration.”

A few minutes after the APC statement, President Muhammadu Buhari and a former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, issued separate statements commending the elections.

Buhari, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Femi Adesina, restated his earlier stance that he did not have any preferred candidates for the Senate and the House of Representatives leadership positions and that he was willing to work with whoever the lawmakers elected.

Atiku on his part congratulated the newly elected leaders. He said in a statement by his Media Office that, “Irrespective of the political mix through which the presiding officers emerged, the 8th National Assembly should never lose focus of its role as a partner in progress with other arms of government especially the executive arm.”

With conflicting signals coming from leading figures of the party, there is little doubt that the APC will be faced with some, if not most of the problems, which marked the latter days of the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

The party leadership is faced with the grim reality of trying to “enforce discipline” within its fold. This, in itself, is potentially a volatile road to travel if not properly handled.

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Alhaji Abdullahi Jalo, expressed delight about the turn of events in the National Assembly.

According to him, the seed sown by the APC in the House of Representatives in 2011, with the election of Aminu Tambuwal as Speaker, against the wishes of the PDP has grown into a very big tree, the fruit of which the APC is now generously reaping from.

He however said, “The reality today is that we all need each other to move forward. The new Senate President will benefit from the experience of Ekweremadu who has been the DSP for eight years and vice versa. I believe Nigeria and Nigerians will be the better for it.”

How the APC resolves this and other challenges which they will definitely be confronted with in the coming days, weeks, and months, will define the party’s character and future.

Finally, it urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop whining and accept the will of the people, respect the independence of the legislature, as the PDP is not responsible for their naivety and crass inexperience.

torkaka:
. . . . . . . . .as the drama unfolds, the excitement of the schemes blinded most senators as lots of mistakes were made . . . . . . . . .

the election of David Mark is against the senate standing orders of 2007 as amended . . . . . . . .

chapter vi of the senate standing orders state;


28.-(1) There shall be a Majority Leader of the Senate, the Majority Leader shall be a Senator nominated from the party with the largest number of Senators.
(2) his functions shall be:
(a) to lead the business of the Senate;
(b) to manage the legislative schedule of the Senate
(c) to liaise with Committee Chairman and other functionaries of the Senate;
29.-(1)there shall be a Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate. The Deputy Majority Leader shall be a Senator nominated from the party with the highest number of seats I n the Senate.
(2) His functions shall be:
(a)to assist the Majority Leader of the Senate in the performance of his functions; and
(b) to act for the Majority Leader of the Senate in his absence.


http://www.senatorarise.com/senaterules.html


. . . . . . . . . .those celebrating should pump their breaks a bit . . . . . .the drama is coming

barcanista:
It is Finished! PDP is now in charge of the two Chambers of the National Assembly!

Congratulations to all patriotic Nigerians and PDP members/Supporters! Together, we have cut the cabals (APC) to size. Sai Mogidi, Firefire DevilHimself Ecoterrors Bayswater Anonimi SeverusSnape Francizy Forwetinnah and ALL PDP supporters numerous to mention.


PDP.....Power

MizMyColi:
Good!
Good!
Gooder!

atlwireles:
now the noise makers of Nigeria will shut up for a couple of days.

PassingShot:
The more reason democracy may not be the answer in Africa.

Plshavmercyamen:
What Saraki did is MORALLY wrong but LEGALLY right. And APC's move at this point "IF" true, is totally unnecessary. They should accept the emergence of Saraki as the senate President while looking for other ways/opportunity to have their revenge. And my advise to PMB, though he has been grossly disrespected by Saraki, he should not get involve now. He should work with Saraki while seeking for more "coded" ways to punish him for disrespect cos If anything goes wrong if any commotion starts, he(BUHARI) wil take sole responsibility as the president and Leader of Nigeria NOT APC. Udo diri unu

dotcomnamename:
Anyone wanna bet me? The Jagaban will deal with Saraki..

Watch out.

brixton:
the APC shot itself, I never wanted Bukola as SP but we will have to live with him now.

What does this mean for Gbajabiamila? Are we going to have the VP, SP and HoR speaker from the SW?

9jatriot:
Am not sure it did o, this calls for interesting times. 2/3 of 108 is 72.

Watching this drama in 3D.

Obiagelli:
Lawyers are probably preparing papers

chamboy:
thought u smarter than dis

aguiyi:
even the devil has been wowed by the APC

PassingShot:
TANoids/PDP igs,

What PMB condemned was the use of foreign soldiers to fight BH on our soil and not seeking cooperation with neighboring countries.

Even when he was interviewed, he clearly said he will prevail on Niger, Chad and Cameron to secure their own side of the border to limit activities of BH.

So, going by what he said then, he has not done otherwise.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday said President Muhammadu Buhari’s diplomatic trips to Niger Republic and Chad had exposed the insincerity of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to fight again insurgency in the country.


The PDP said as a party that once chastised the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan for seeking regional cooperation to finding solution to the challenge of insurgency, it was wrong for the APC to be hailing Buhari for toeing the same line.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement, said in the days ahead, Nigerians should expect further unmasking of APC’s double standard and blackmail upon which they rode to power.

The party also condemned the venom with which the APC attacked well-meaning Nigerians for daring to offer constructive criticisms to President Buhari, following apparent loss of tempo in the fight against insurgency since he took office, describing such as unacceptable in a democracy especially in a country like Nigeria, where the citizens have been enjoying freedom of expression in the last 16 years under the PDP.


“The APC must understand that the hallmark of democracy is freedom of expression and opinion, particularly on governance issues; inalienable rights of all citizens guaranteed by the constitution and which must not be denied them under any guise whatsoever.

“Though we had decided to give Buhari and the ruling party sometime to settle down, indicators show that the APC is not getting its bearing right and the PDP as a party that has nurtured and sustained democracy in the last 16 years, we cannot fold our hands and watch our nation drift towards dangerous undemocratic paths,” the party said.

The PDP lamented that since the APC took over power at the centre, there has been no clear sign of seriousness and direction, but confusion, selfish infighting and hysteria for positions of power while the nation drifts, noting that the situation is unhealthy for democracy and national development.

“The concern of well-meaning Nigerians is that this may be a pointer to the fact that the APC lacks clear-cut directions on how to govern a nation as complex as Nigeria,” it said.

The PDP observed that though some jostling for political offices are expected among politicians in a democracy, Nigerians are not comfortable with the confusion in the APC camp and the dimension it has assumed.

The party said: “The negative effect of the glaring political commotion in the APC is compounding President Buhari’s self-confessed nervousness and puzzlement, his flip-flops and worrisome reneging on campaign promises for which Nigerians will continue to hold him accountable.

“Instead of fighting for positions, which betrays their lust, APC leaders should be more concerned with how to help President Buhari, who is still struggling with his ministerial list and basic appointments more than a week after his inauguration.

“They should be more concerned with how to end insurgency by the end of July as promised by President Buhari in his April 2, 2015 CNN interview.

“They should be concerned about how to pay N5,000 each to 25 million poor Nigerians beginning from the end of June; how to bring the naira to the same value with the dollar; provide allowances to the discharged but unemployed youth corps members for 12 months; provide free education and meals for school children among others as they promised during the campaigns.

“We invite the APC to note the concern of Nigerians that the pictures emanating from their camp are not reassuring in this direction,” the PDP said.

Benzzle:
will you keep quick... speak for yourself abeg,we needed change and we voted for change if you're not comfortable with it you can go to cotonu or togo

cramjones:
Dear Nairalanders,

I carefully read all the vituperations that was meted out against me when I appealed to everyone to be respectful of the office of the president.

You all called me unprintable names. I have never been insulted in my whole life on planet earth as you all did in my last post. Thanks to the moderator who closed down the thread because it was already getting out of control. For all you have said, I still wholeheartedly forgive you all.

Let us put all hands on deck to make Nigeria great again. Support PMB for the Nigeria we all want to live in.

God Bless you all!

-CramJones

priscaoge:
Trying so hard to sound reasonable makes u look like a fooooooool. Stop been pathetic. It won't change the fact that ur Oga is an illiterate and u guys should be ready for more insults. You cramjones actually rained bunch of insults on GEJ,u called him names, so why crying foul now? U will be judged by ur words. What goes around comes around.


Karma has no menu but will surely serve u what u deserve. You n ur fellow nonentities will receive more insults than we did during GEJ's tenure so relax n enjoy the show


Where are my comrades?
cc:
Barcanista
Phockphockman
Truckpusher

Good morning guys!!!!

oladele97:
I wonder when. this our politicians will start having sense
am so disappointed in saraki
he was part of those who destroy PDP
now he want to bring that devilish character here

koboko69:
APC IS NOT PDP. THEY ARE VERY GOOD IN SOLVING INTERNAL CRISIS.

The crisis within the All Progressives Congress over the choice of candidates for the speakership and the Senate presidency of the 8th National Assembly deepened on Sunday as candidates not endorsed by the party’s leadership vowed to contest the elections on Tuesday.

Findings in Abuja on Sunday showed that the candidates – Yakubu Dogara (House of Representatives) and Bukola Saraki (Senate) had intensified lobbying the Peoples Democratic Party incoming lawmakers.

Senators-elect and their counterparts for the House began accreditation for the Tuesday election at the National Assembly in Abuja on Sunday.

The immediate past Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, had at the party’s mock election on Saturday emerged the APC consensus candidate for the post of speaker. He polled 154 votes as against Yakubu Dogara’s three votes.

A total of 183 members registered for the mock election but the votes of four were declared as invalid.

Bukola Saraki’s group boycotted the primary conducted for senate presidency , but the APC picked Ahmad Lawan, who got 32 votes.

Votes allocated to Dogora, a fraud, says Jobs

But on Sunday, the spokesperson for the 8th Assembly Consolidation Group which is Dogara’s campaign body, Abdulmumin Jibrin, warned that the APC was a on a path of self-destruction by sticking to the outcome of the primary.

Jibrin, a former Chairman, House Committee on Finance and contestant for the speakership until last week when he stepped down to support Dogara, insisted that there was no election.

“The mock election is a blatant lie. It was very shameful and disgraceful and the party only made a mockery of itself.

“We walked out of the hall and we never participated in the election. Therefore, the votes allocated to us were a fraud and we will not accept them,” he told a news conference on Sunday.

Jibrin claimed that members of the group had received threats of disciplinary actions from the party since Saturday, but he restated the resolve of Dogara’s supporters to ignore the APC and nominate him(Dogora) for Tuesday’s (tomorrow) election.

Disclosing that the group had petitioned Buhari to wade into the matter, he said it was regrettable that in just a week after the APC formed the government at the Federal level, it appeared set on “derailing” from the ideals which propelled it to power.

“We have decided to write a petition to Buhari to intervene in this matter; to call the party to order. We will go ahead to nominate Dogara on the 9th and we will not back out,” he said.

The group seized the opportunity to unveil Lasun Yusuf, a member from Osun State, as Dogora’s running mate .

The same Yusuf, had last week, announced that he was backing Gbajabiamila, only to make a U-turn on Sunday.

Support us, Gbajabiamila’s secretariat tells Dogara

Shortly after the news conference, The Gbajabiamila Secretariat in Abuja called on the Dogara group to bury the hatchet and join the Lagos State lawmaker to build the House as from Tuesday.

It noted that had Dogara won the mock election instead of Gbajabiamila, the former minority leader would have supported him, being the candidate so chosen by the party.

The secretariat, also said there was nothing strange in conducting a mock election, which it argued was not different from the primaries members participated in before their election to the National Assembly.

Dickson Tarkighir, who spoke for the secretariat said, “It is unfortunate that some members sought for intervention of the party before their election into the National Assembly but suddenly realised that the unbiased intervention of the party in the mock election is inappropriate.

“Definitely, these are not agents of change. The party gave members-elect the platform to elect a popular candidate that would represent the party in the House and we are glad that at the end of that exercise, it was res ipsa loquitur.


“Had Dogara won the mock election we would have all queued behind him now but as a mark of discipline and respect for the party, we are all behind Gbajabiamila.”

However, The PUNCH gathered that Gbajabiamila would most likely emerge as the speaker, barring any major alterations in the support structure he already had among members-elect.

It was learnt that flowing from his victory on Saturday, the North-West and North-East caucuses of the House resolved to sustain their support for him on Tuesday.

He was said to be already assured of the votes of 47 out of the 48 APC members from the South-West.

Findings revealed that the North-West, with 87 APC lawmakers, had over 84 backing Gbajabiamila.

A returning member of the House, who asked not to be named said , “Kano, with the largest state caucus, has 24 members; 21 voted for Gbajabiamila on Saturday and will repeat the same on Tuesday.

“Jigawa has 11 members, all whom are with Gbajabiamila.’’

Investigations also indicated that 35 out of the total 39 APC members from the North-East were firmly backing Gbajabiamila.

A top APC member, who also spoke with The PUNCH in Abuja on Sunday, said, “The project in the House is tied to the project of Senator Ahmed Lawan, who is contesting the President of the Senate.

“It is the same project and we will keep to it until victory is won on Tuesday.’’

It was learnt that the North-West and the North-East started plotting in May to edge Dogara out of the contest when they prevailed on Mohammed Monguno, a former contestant for the speakership, to step down for Gbajabiamila.

Monguno was later asked to team up with Gbajabiamila as his deputy for a single ticket, a move meant to block Dogara in his North-East .

On the other hand, the North-West was said to have asked to be given no higher position than the Majority leader in the 8th House.

A former President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists and member-elect from Kano State, Sani Zoro, confirmed that the North was the main support base of Gbajabiamila.

Zoro said, “For someone who has served the opposition well for 12 years, he (Gbajabiamia) deserves to be rewarded.

“In a parliamentary system of government, he would have become the prime minister without debate.”

Findings showed that even the PDP Caucus with 193 members, was divided, an indication that Gbajabiamila and Dogara might share the votes of the minority camp on Tuesday.

“There is no guarantee of a block vote anymore because the two camps will share the votes of the PDP.

“The APC’s mock election of Saturday also spoke volumes of what to expect on Tuesday,” another member stated.

A group of senators-elect who are canvassing for the emergence Saraki as President also insisted on Sunday that the Kwara State senator would contest the position on Tuesday.

The group, in a statement by two of its members, Dino Melaye and Ahmed Rufai-Sani, argued that the mock primary that produced Ahmad Lawan as the APC concensus candidate, was manipulated by the party leaders.

The senators-elect noted with regret that the leadership of the APC did not carry the pro–Saraki group along while the Lawan group was allegedly informed ahead of the meeting.

The group explained that it went to the International Conference Centre venue of the meeting in Abuja with just five members to discuss the modalities for the conduct of the election on Tuesday.

It said, “The Unity Forum (Lawan’s group) insisted on open ballot voting which we discovered is different from the electoral process used to conduct the earlier election with the House of Representatives members -elect.

“To us, this open ballot voting is primitive; undemocratic and against universal electoral norms and practice.In the light of the above, we the Senators elect of Like Minds hereby insist on our position of Open ballot.

“Secret voting process which we believe is in consonance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the universal electoral values.

“As responsible citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and leaders in our own right, we have resolved and hereby state that we shall not be part of a process that promotes undemocratic electoral process.

“Such undemocratic process may resort to rancorous and uncivil situations which inhibit the rights of individuals to vote for the candidate of their choice, as this process will further divide us than unite members of our party.

“In conclusion we the Senators-Elect of Like Minds wish to state categorically that we will participate only in the constitutional election scheduled for Tuesday, the 9th of June 2015 in line with the rules of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The group vowed to address a news conference with 65 senators-elect across the APC and the PDP, who had already endorsed Saraki’s candidature for the post.

Investigations by our correspondents had revealed that 33 out of the 59 APC senators – elect voted for Lawan at the mock primary, leaving Saraki with the remaining 26.

Already the Saraki group are claiming to have the support of 49 PDP senators – elect who will give him their votes on Tuesday.

An incoming PDP senator, who confided in The PUNCH on the lobbying by the candidates, said, “The candidates have been reaching out to us, but we in the PDP are not united.”

APC cautions aggrieved candidates

The APC has however enjoined the aggrieved candidates and their supporters to put its interest and that of the nation above their personal interests.

It said in a statement on Sunday by its National Secretary, Mala Buni, that it was natural for people to feel disappointment after losing a contest. .

The party said, “ However, we must put the interest of our party above personal interests and avoid a situation whereby any other candidates, apart from those picked by the party, will emerge as Senate President and House Speaker on Tuesday.

‘‘Any outstanding issues will be resolved by the party so we won’t go into Tuesday’s election with more than one candidate each for the two posts – Senate Presidency and speakership.”

The party said it would amount to an act of shame if, despite its majority in the National Assembly, it was unable to produce a Senate President and Speaker of its choice.

It therefore appealed to all the aggrieved members to sheathe their swords and allow peace to reign.

kazmanbanjoko:
i am saying "fayose rigged ekiti election, so he should be disciplined for it if he escapes to be impeached"

Governorship election Fayose 16-0 APC
Senatorial election PDP 3-0 APC
Presidential elections PDP 16-0 APC
Ekiti state house of assembly PDP 26-0 APC
Supreme,Appeal and the tribunals PDP 3-0 APC
House of Rep PDP 6-0 APC

BENZINA:
Sylva, one step forward two steps backward.