Allegations Against Dogara, Others

According to documents released by the sacked Appropriation Committee Chairman, Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin, 10 principal officers of the House are accused of dubiously influencing projects to their constituencies. Here is a summary of the allegations as presented by Jibrin. However, of these principal officers, Jibrin only petitioned that the Speaker, his deputy, Chief Whip and Minority Leader should resign their positions to allow unfettered access for investigations.

1. Speaker Yakubu Dogara

First elected to the House of Representatives on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2007, Dogara represents Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State. Following his emergence as Speaker in 2015, the House was embroiled in leadership tussle. Dogara later resolved the rumblings by carefully rewarding loyalists and accommodating APC’s interest through the emergence of Gbajabiamila as the House Leader. He is accused of forcing Jibrin to allocate projects worth N40 billion in the budget to his constituency alone. According to Jibrin, the speaker “frequently abuses his office amounting to conflict of interest by soliciting inappropriate favours from agencies and multinational companies. He forced an agency to grant loans and a construction company blackmailed to do some work at his Asokoro plot.” Based on a document Jibrin released, “Dogara got N3 billion worth of projects in the budget.” He operates an opaque and non-transparent budget for the House.

2. Yussuf Suleimon Lasun (Deputy Speaker)

Considered as a minus for Dogara’s leadership, Deputy Speaker Lasun is accused of lacking the capacity to rally support for the Speaker. Until his emergence as Deputy Speaker, not many were aware of his presence in the lower chamber. Lasun, who represents Irepodun/Olorunda/Osogbo/Orolu Federal Constituency of Osun State, was elected to the lower chamber in 2011 on the platform of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Among members of Reps who never sponsored a bill throughout from 2011 to 2015, the Deputy Speaker is accused of manipulating about N30 billion worth for projects, in addition to other “wasteful projects.”

3. Chief Whip, Alhassan Ado Doguwa

He represents Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency of Kano State, and has been in the lower chamber since 2007. Doguwa, according to Jibrin, influenced the insertion of N1.8 billion projects in his constituency, apart from influencing N30 billion worth of other projects for himself.

4. Leo Ogor (Minority Leader) Ogor,

seen as the arrowhead of a PDP conspiracy to vote Dogara as speaker, is said to have facilitated the insertion of projects worth N1.4 billion to his constituency, according to documents released by sacked chairman of the Appropriation Committee Chairman.

5. Femi Gbajabiamila (House Leader)

Gbajabiamila was favoured to emerge as House Speaker after the Party zoned the Senate Presidency to the North. After being forced to kiss the dust in an election described as quite dicey, Dogara facilitated his emergence as House Leader. With claims of not having been carried along in the appointments of committee chairmen, Gbajabiamila is said to be angling for a comeback. According to the documents released by the sacked Appropriation Committee Chairman, the Lagos-born lawmaker allegedly influenced the allocation of projects worth N1.8 billion in his Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos State.

6. Buba Jibril (Deputy Leader)

A third-term member and Deputy Leader of the House of Representatives, Rep Buba Jibril represents Lokoja Federal Constituency of Kogi State, and has been in the lower chamber since 2007. His loyalty to Dogara was rewarded with the position of Deputy Leader after Dogara’s emergence. The Kogi-born lawmaker got projects worth N1.5 billion for his constituency.

7. Pally Iriase (Deputy Chief Whip)

Iriase was initially a strong member of Gbajabiamila faction ahead of the race for Speakership, but soon decamped to Dogara’s camp. He represents Owan East/Owan West Federal Constituency in Edo State. Documents from Jibrin indicate he influenced the allocation of N1.5 billion projects to his constituency.

8. Yakubu Barde (Minority Whip) Representing Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, Barde as a third-term member of the House, was appointed a principal officer last year by Speaker Dogara. According to Jibrin, he got projects worth N1.4 billion to his constituency.

9. Chukwuka Onyeama (Deputy Minority Leader)

Onyeama, who represents Ogbaru Federal Constituency of Anambra State, is accused by Jibrin of being behind the N1.4 billion projects for his constituency.

10. Binta Bello (Deputy Minority Whip) The only female principal officer in the House, Rep Binta Bello represents Kaltungo/Shongom Federal Constituency of Gombe State and is accused of influencing the insertion of N1.4 billion worth of projects for her constituency.