More Troubles In APC, As Lawmakers Defy Buhari, Govs, Party In Choosing Principal Officers

Buhari

The crisis in the All Progressives Congress (APC) deepened on Thursday, 25 June 2015 when in defiance of their party’s directive, APC senators elected Senator Ali Ndume as Senate Leader while Senator Ibn Na’ Allah was elected Deputy Senate leader. Senator Sola Adeyeye emerged Chief Whip, and Senator Francis Makhana became the deputy chief whip. This is against the party’s directive that Senator Ahmed Lawan should be the Senate Leader while Senator George Akume was pencilled down as Deputy Senate Leader; Senator Adeyeye (Chief Whip), Sen. Abu Ibrahim (Deputy Chief Whip).

In the House of Representatives it was a different matter altogether. The House of Representatives plenary on Thursday,  June 25 2015 was disrupted for several hours when members loyal to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) made failed attempt to take away the maze of authority in the chambers because the House Speaker, Hon Yakubu Dogara failed to concede the principal officers positions as recommended by the APC leadership.

It would recalled that the APC leaders had agreed that the principal officers’ positions should not be put to vote, but affirmed by the House Speaker as sent by the party’s national chairman, Chief John Oyegun. The party had endorsed Hon Femi Gbajabiamila (House Leader); Alhassan Ado Doguwa ( Deputy House Leader); M.T. Monguno (Chief Whip); and Pally Iriase (Deputy Chief Whip).

By their actions the lawmakers did not only defy their party’s national leadership, they also defied their state governors and President Muhammadu Buhari. It would be recalled that Wednesday night APC governors met with President Buhari over the impasse in the National Assembly. At the end of the meeting the chairman, APC Governors’ Forum and Imo State governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha admonished the lawmakers to obey the party’s directive. That was also the tune of governor of Edo State, Adam Oshiomhole who reiterated that as governors who are obedient to the party they expected their lawmakers to do same. He also revealed that they had told President Buhari their mind, but failed to indicate what the mind of the president was on the matter.  The president had before the emergence of the National Assembly leadership promised not to interfere in the affairs of Assembly when choosing their leaders.