75 Lawmakers Fault Support Claim For Gbajabiamila

About 75 members of the House of Representatives from the North-west have faulted the claim by one of them that 75 lawmakers from the zone have endorsed the Minority Leader of the chamber, Femi Gbajabiamila for the position of speaker in the 8th Assembly.

Ahmed Rufai Chanchangi (APC, Kaduna) had told journalists in Abuja last Tuesday that out of the 92 Reps-elect from the North-west, between 75 and 80 were fully behind Gbajabiamila.

Chanchangi, a returning member from Kaduna had in a chat with newsmen explained that their decision was predicated on the principle of fairness, integrity and reciprocity.

Fielding questions on the intrigues over the endorsements, Chanchangi said: “I think, to me and to the returning members of the House, there is no conflict at all. The only person in the race is Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.”

Continuing , he said, “Apart from him I can’t see anybody in the race because when you are talking about someone being in the race, the first thing to be taken into consideration is your home support base.

But some of the lawmakers from the zone refuted the claim, saying majority of the North-west lawmakers would rather support Yakubu Dogara, who is a major contender for the position.

Ibrahim Babangida Mahuta (APC, Katsina) told newsmen that the claim was false, adding “There is no way Femi will get 75 people from the North-west. We have done all our analysis and discovered that Dogara has more lawmakers than Femi in the zone. So, we don’t know how they came up with that.”

Meanwhile, a member of the House of Representatives and former gubernatorial candidate in Ekiti State, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele has dumped his party, the Labour party, for the All Progressives Congress (APC). He decamped two days ago.

The new development was announced on the floor of the House by the Speaker, Amino Azeri Tambala, who at plenary session, read out the official correspondence from the decamped legislator representing Ado Ekiti/Irepodun-Ifelodun Federal Constituency

Opeyemi had resigned his position as Leader of the Ekiti state Caucus in the House of Representatives on October 22, 2013 ahead of the 2014 elections in Ekiti state, to allow him prosecute his gubernatorial ambition.

He was subsequently suspended by his colleaques fromkiti state in the House Earlier over his declaration to contest for the Oke Bareke job in 2014 as Governor of the state. He was also accused of anti party activities.

The Caucus however reversed themselves following the intervention of the National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

But Opeyemi, who is the outgoing Chairman, House committee on Legislative Budget and Research, in his letter dated 20 May, 2015, and addressed to the Speaker of the House, yesterday announced his defection from Labour Party to the APC.