A showdown between some incoming members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC and the national leadership of the party is erupt on Thursday. This is consequent upon the insistence of some party officials to impose their preferred choices of candidates for senate presidency and speakership of the House in the soon-to-be inaugurated 8th National Assembly.

Incidentally, the party had scheduled a meeting of all Senators-elect and House members-elect tomorrow probably to lobby them to support certain candidates for the positions. It will be recalled that in an attempt to garner support for candidates, the party penultimate week held two separate retreats for the senators-elect and House Members-elect.

But to the chagrin of many party leaders, especially a heavyweight from south west who seems hell-bent on delivering his candidates at all costs, members repudiated every entreaty made to them to give their support. The outcome however prompted the announcement of Senators Ahmed Lawan (Yobe State) and George Akume (Benue State) by senate unity forum as its candidates for Senate president and Deputy senate president respectively

Similarly, Hon. Mohammed Mongonu (Borno) who earlier nurtured ambition for the speakership of the House also stepped down Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila(Lagos State). Both Lawan and Gbajabiamila are seen in some quarters as the  candidates of the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for the offices though they have roundly denied to be sponsored by Tinubu.

Essentially, Lawan who hails from North east geopolitical is understood to be Tinubu’s game of dislodging Hon. Yakubu Dogara (Bauchi State) whom the odds for now favour for the speakership of the House. Remarkably, the President Mohammadu Buhari had repeatedly announced his distance backing anyone for the positions, saying he would work with anyone that emerges.

Meanwhile, having failed to secure the support of many incoming parliamentarians, the party on Tuesday slated another meeting of all elected National Assembly members of the party for Thursday for the obvious reason of settling the scores between the federal lawmakers before the inauguration of 8th National Assembly early next week.

But in a swift reaction to the notice of the all-inclusive meeting on Thursday, some members-elect of the party under the aegis of 8th Assembly Consolidation Group have warned the party leadership to desist from acts capable of rocking the party early. In a statement signed by the members which included Ahman Aliyu Pategi, Zakari Mohammed, Babangida Ibrahim Mahuta, Aishat Dukku, Haliru Jika and Jagaba Adams Jagaba reminded the party leadership of President Buhari’s stand on the liberty of the Assembly to choose their leaders.

Why congratulating the president and Vice president, professor Yemi Osibanjo on their successful swearing in last Friday, they said that any attempt by the party leadership to subvert the will of the majority of the members would be resisted. Titled ” 8th Assembly Consolidation Group, Search for a Speaker, Our Stand”, the statement read in full.

“The above named group of the 8th Assembly. Wishes to congratulate our President Mohammadu Buhari and his Vice, Professor Yemi Osibanjo on their well deserved Inauguration and swearing in as the number one and number two citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria respectively.
  “We wish them a progressive tenure of office in their bid to tackle the muIti facetal development challenges of our dear Nation.

“We wish to draw the attention of our great party, the All Progressive Congress (A.P.C.) and Nigerians to certain unethical and un-democratic moves by  some desperate party leaders who are bent on subverting the laid down procedure on the emergence of the Speaker of the 8th Assembly in accordance to the House Standing Orders and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We must commend Mr President, Mohammadu Buhari, our Leader and Father of the Nation for his statesmanship and principled stand that the business of the National Assembly Leadership should be the soul responsibility of Senators and Members who are at liberty to regulate and throw up their leaders according to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which he swore to protect.

“It is however disturbing that certain individuals are poised on disregarding the Presidential declaration and forging ahead to manipulate our party to conduct an unconstitutional shadow election for Speakership which is alien to the Constitution and all conventional parliamentary practices. “The idea is to force a preferred candidate on the party hierarchy and members via intimidation and financial inducements by a certain party leader.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the APC is a party built on the principle of change. We cannot allow our young party to be short changed by selfish power mongers who would stop at nothing to throw the collective sweat of Nigerians invested in the APC to ruins and waste. Nigerians deserve a better deal. “Any leadership that is orchestrated outside the hallow chambers is not only an aberration but an insult to our cherished parliamentary tradition and we will be seen as a laughing stock before the developed democracies which we’re copying.

“Finally, we want to reiterate that the 8th Assembly Consolidation Group would resist any attempt to abuse our collective psyche by conducting our affairs outside the hallow chambers. We would continue to be committed to the ideals of our party, the APC and the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari.”