The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila is certainly walking on a tight rope as anger and disdain for him by majority of the members of the House of Representatives on waiting on the wings to impeach him from his exalted position.
Getting a wind of the plan, Speaker Gbajabiamila on Wednesday made a fast move as he quickly adjourned the House plenary indefinitely to wade off attacks and douse tension that made lead to his possible impeachment by some lawmakers.
Visibly disturbed Gbajabiamila, who presided over Wednesday’s plenary even after weeks of recess, had to quickly call for adjournment knowing the plans of majority of his colleagues to get him removed from office.
The embattled Speaker predicated the forceful adjournment on the ongoing induction of members-elect.
It was gathered that apart from the anger over the imposition of Hon. Tajudeen Abbas from Kaduna State as the sole candidate for the Speakership and Hon Benjamin Kalu (APC-Abia) for the post of a Deputy Speaker, there are other more serious and underlying issues that may likely consume Gbajabiamila if not properly and carefully handled.
Some of the issues at stake as gathered by Forefront News has to do with maladministration and mismanagement of budgetary funds without carrying members along.
Specifically, Gbajabiamila is being accused by some of the members of single-handedly doctoring the Rules of the House in such a way that would give added advantage to Hon. Tajudeen Abbas being his preferred candidate.
The alleged doctored Standing Rules of the House referred to as the 10th edition, has a new provision for electing the Speaker and Deputy through an ‘open ballot’ as against the existing Rule which prescribed ‘secret ballot’ that has been in use since 1999.
Specifically, Section 2 (f) (iii) of the controversial clause captioned “election of presiding officers” states; “Every member voting shall name clearly and in the open the candidate of his choice”.
Already, members of the initial G-7 who were potential aspirants that have now been reduced to G-6 following the exit of Hon. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa from the group, were said to be livid with anger and bitterness over the shoddy handling of the choice of candidates for the Speakership and Deputy Speakership by only Gbajabiamila without any form of consultation whatsoever.
Members of the initial G-7 include Hons. Rep. Ahmed Wase (APC-Plateau), Aliyu Betara (APC-Borno), Sada Soli (APC-Katsina),Yusuf Gagdi (APC-Plateau), Sani Jaji (APC-Zamfara) and Alhassan Ado-Doguwa (APC-Kano).
The unscheduled adjournment was swiftly opposed by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ahmed Wase, who is being alleged to be one of the arrow heads of the impeachment plot, saying that the adjournment was needless and not proper, stressing that the induction should be going on simultaneously with plenary just like it was being done at the Senate.
Wase further said; “I respect the view of distinguish colleague, Rep Ibrahim Isaka, who moved for the adjournment, but I think Mr Speaker, this institution has a lot memories. There has never been a time because of induction, the House suspended plenary.
“I don’t know the rate of attrition in terms of those who are back to the House compared to those who are now not returning, that we have to adjourn the House because of induction.
“I think there are many issues in the country that we need to face and tackle; we are running out of time Mr Speaker, we have just today and tomorrow for the week. We lost yesterday, I want to beg my brother to consider his own stand, he should know that in any way that there is nowhere in our own rules that says that we are doing induction.
“The days for sitting in the House were clearly stated out in the House order,” he stressed.
However, Hon. Isaka (APC-Ogun) who came under Order 6, 1 and 2 on Matters of Privileges moved a Point of Order saying; “Today, as we speak, induction programme is on-going at the ICC center, which I am privileged together with other members to be part of Batch B.
“Last week because of this same programme, the House adjourned. The plenary was not in session but, today because of the plenary I have to be here while this programme is ongoing. I cannot be properly accommodated on the programme at the induction ground alongside plenary.
“That is why I am coming under Order of privileges order 6,1,2,3. Mr Speaker, my prayer is that the House do adjourn to allow us participate in the programme. I am not the only victim of this, there are other members who are complaining about their privileges. I so move,” he prayed.
Spirited attempts by Hon. Yusuf Gagdi (APC-Plateau), who is an aspirant for the position of the Speaker of the 10th National assembly to speak wigth a view to counter the motion was bluntly ignored.
Commenting on the issue, Hon. Abubakar Nalaraba (APC-Nasarawa), said he was aware of the alteration made in the Rule of the House just to favour Gbajabiamila’s preferred candidate.
According to Nalaraba; “There are some agitations by members because there is a particular alteration from the House Rule which was conspicuously inserted and has never been deliberated upon at the plenary or in the vote and proceedings.
“Sequel to this, some members promised to take it up with him and to bring it as Order of Privilege in the House so that members would discuss why would the insertion be in the House Rule in the 10th Assembly?
“I think that might be the reason why he adjourned the House and that insertion was done probably to make the election seamless for his preferred candidate,” he said.
