. Gbajabiamila to emerge deputy speaker
• Leo Ogor may retain deputy leader position
Leadership change is rife, as the House of Representatives resumes from its yuletide break next week.
The House and the Senate are expected to resume on the 14th of January.
The Green Chamber in a whirlwind of change on Wednesday, December 18th, 2013 recorded a higher number of lawmakers for the opposition All Progressives’ Congress (APC) against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which had controlled the Senate and House for 13 years. As soon as the change crept in, inter-party fireworks commenced with the PDP dragging the 37 members that crossed to APC to Court.
The jilted party has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to declare the seats of the defecting lawmakers vacant. But a restraining Order countering the prayer of the PDP, has sustained the defectors, who are set to re-jig the leadership of House.
A member of the House from Ekiti State who spoke to Sunday Mirror on condition of anonymity yesterday, said it is likely that the current Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (APCLagos) would be elected to be the Deputy Speaker of the House, as the current Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha yields his position this first quarter of 2014.
“We are thinking of the possibility of our own Leader, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila being the next Deputy Speaker”, he said. He said going by how long the Minority Leader had been on the floor as a Leader of the APC, the party would likely elevate him to the number two slot.
“As you already know, this man (Gbajabiamila) has been a leader for a very long time, and he has done wonderfully well, so it’s only right and fair for him to now be our Deputy Speaker, a position that you will agree with me, is slightly above that of even the Majority Leader”, he said.
A member of the PDP who spoke with National Mirror, said the present Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha (PDP-Imo) is not likely to join the APC, so he along with the present Leader of the House, Mrs. Mulikat Akande-Adeola (PDP-Oyo) would lose their seats.
Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, would however retain his seat as Speaker, while he waits for a clear judicial signal to formally join the APC. It was however gathered that Deputy Leader, Rep. Leo Okuweh Ogor (PDP-Delta), a supporter of Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, may return his seat or get a form of soft landing.
Although he may not defect, indications have emerged that he is not in the good books of the Presidency, because of his closeness to an ex-Governor of a State, a sworn rival of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Twenty-nine members of the House of Representatives, it was authoritatively learnt last week, would also defect to the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) between January and February 2014.
A member of the House from Jigawa State who is still in the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) told the reporter yesterday. It was also gathered that about four lawmakers who have lost out with the party in Benue State have concluded plans to take the leap in January.
“Yes, we are still PDP members, but I can’t guarantee that in January we would still be there. It is only Jigawa, many other states too. We are not less than 29 moving in January”, he said.
The constraints however are that the defectors must wait to make the register compiled by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, before leadership change can be effected.
Though the rules of the House state that a simple majority is 181, the APC must wait, till their majority status is confirmed in the members’ register, which is in custody of the Clerk. For the APC members to play safe, they may also have to wait for a judicial pronouncement on the PDP’s case against their defection.
Source: National Mirror
