The embattled Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, is currently under intense pressure to quit, on the strength of the budget padding allegations leveled against him, by the sacked Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin.
Reports indicate that the plot to oust Dogara, is coming majorly from four (4) strategic All Progressives Congress, APC, controlled States.
Dogara, has already gotten the endorsement and support of 262 out of the 360 members of the house.
However, he needs an additional 28 signatures from the remaining 98 members, to be relatively at ease.
The 262, The Nation learnt, have already signed a register opened by Dogara, to keep track of those backing him in the biggest threat yet to his position, since he was elected Speaker, in June 2015.
The following is the breakdown of the 98 Reps who are yet to sign the register: Lagos – 18; Sokoto – 2; Kogi – 1; Bauchi – 2; Oyo – 6; Kaduna – 3; Osun – 6; Niger – 3; Ondo – 4; Taraba – 1; Ogun – 1; Katsina – 3; Kebbi – 1; Edo – 5; Kano – 4; and Benue – 1.
From the list above, most of the Lawmakers that have refused to endorse Dogara, are majorly from Lagos (18), Osun (6), Oyo (6), and Edo (5).
The implication, is that the Speaker has challenges in Lagos State, controlled by Governor Akinwumi Ambode; Osun State, controlled by Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Oyo State, controlled by Governor Abiola Ajimobi, and Edo State, controlled by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, all APC States.
A larger number of the Lawmakers from the four States, according to report, have been instructed by their Governors, not to give support to Dogara.
However, Dogara has gained more support from Sokoto, Plateau, Benue, Taraba, Kwara, Borno, Ekiti, the entire South-East and South-South, both of which are controlled by the PDP.
Dogara’s strategists, are said to be shocked by the refusal of two out of the 12 Representatives from his home State of Bauchi, to support him.
A source, who is familiar with the unfolding event said: “About 262 Representatives have signed the register to back Dogara, although the target is actually 290 members to Ward off any threat.
“About 98 members have not signed, undecided, or on vacation.“The only challenge Dogara is having, borders on poor support base for his Deputy, Yusuff Lasun, in the South-West. Out of the 65 Representatives from the South-West, only about 30-36 signed the register. Whereas, Dogara, was able to secure 95 percent signatures of members from the North-East.“It got to a ridiculous extent that some Chairmen of Committees from the South-West, stayed away from the register. The House leadership considered it a slight.“At a meeting of pro-Dogara loyalists during the week, the Deputy Speaker was faulted for not embracing his colleagues from the South-West, after the House had reconciled.“Although, Lasun gave the details of his rapprochement with Representatives from the South-West, members were not convinced at all.“Dogara is however, doing a lot to persuade Reps from the South-West to forget the past. If the House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, pitches his tent with Dogara, then it will be an easy ride for him.“So far, there is a lot of pressure on the Deputy Speaker, to wield influence on his colleagues from his geopolitical zone to back Dogara.“Gbajabiamila, has an onerous task at hand. The former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Jibrin, was on his side before he made a volte face at the last minute. Jibrin’s switch of support earned Dogara the Speakership.“Members are eager to see whether Gbajabiamila will pay Jibrin back in his own coin, or stand by Dogara, based on privileged information at his disposal.” The source stressed.A member of the House in Dogara’s camp said: “It is going to be a battle to the finish. Some of us have suspended our vacation, because of the challenge at hand.“What I can assure you, is that Dogara will survive this battle, because he is innocent of all the allegations against him.”
However, it was gathered that there is even no guarantee that the 262 that have signified their support for him in the survival battle, will line up behind him when the chips are down, with sources citing the fluidity of the House politics.
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