To avoid a repeat of the 2015 mistakes when some All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers connived with their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterparts to hijack the leadership of the 8th Assembly, the national leadership of the ruling party has stepped into the ongoing leadership race.
The APC National Working Committee (NWC) Monday, met with new and returning members of the House of Representatives to forge a common front on the emergence of the Green Chamber’s principal officers.
In the unfolding scenario, the APC leadership is favourably disposed to the current House leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as the Speaker of the Lower House.
Gbajabiamila was the preferred candidate of the APC for the office in 2015 before it was clinched by the incumbent Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, who rode on the support of PDP lawmakers to outwit Gbajabiamila.
In the same way, Senator Ahmed Lawan was the anointed candidate of the APC for the Senate Presidency but he lost the office to Senator Bukola Saraki in the power game that produced the outgoing NASS leadership.
Dogara defeated Gbajabiamila with 182 votes to 174.
A competent source confirmed that at a meeting which the party presented Gbajabiamila as its candidate for the speakership to the new lawmakers-elect.
It was learned that some members were not comfortable with the party’s choice of Gbajabiamila as they alleged that he may be difficult for them to work with.
The source, who craved anonymity, stated that the meeting wanted the matter properly handled so as not to disenfranchise other eminent and qualified persons who have indicated interest in the office.
Earlier, APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who led the NWC members to meet the lawmakers had declared that the party would not allow the mistakes of 2015 to recur when the new National Assembly is inaugurated in June.
Oshiomhole said that Nigerians had reposed confidence in the party by giving it an overwhelming majority in the House assuring that the party would use the numerical strength to its advantage.
He, therefore, sought the collaboration of the APC legislators to enable President Muhammadu Buhari to execute the party’s programmes during his second term.
