How Buhari Got House Leader Job For Gbajabiamila - Vanguard

ABUJA — SPEAKER Yakubu Dogara of the House of Representatives yesterday succumbed to pressures from his All Progressives Congress, APC, and named Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila House Majority Leader, and by that, drew the curtain on the lingering crisis that has trailed the chamber since its inauguration last June.

Among those who put pressure on the Speaker, it was learnt yesterday, was President Muhammadu Buhari who reportedly put in a phone call to Dogara following a last-minute meeting with party leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, however, denied knowledge of any interaction between the President and the Speaker prior to yesterday’s pronouncement.

Following yesterday’s resolution of the crisis, Speaker Dogara charged the legislators to proceed to discharge the issues that brought them to Abuja, saying that they had wasted enough time on issues of personal aggrandisement.

Prior to the sitting yesterday, tempers had reached feverish pitch upon the resolution of supporters of the Speaker to adopt what they termed as the party’s “position as amended,” which would have led to the exclusion of Gbajabiamila, the party favourite who lost out in the leadership contest to Dogara on June 9.

Buhari And Saraki Still Not On Speaking Terms Despite Praying Together -TheCable

Hopes of a rapprochement between President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki have continued to fade by the day.

The No. 1 and No. 3 citizens are still not on speaking terms despite saying the eid-el-fitr prayers together on Friday July 17, TheCable can report.

In a widely publicised photograph, Saraki next to Buhari at the praying ground in Abuja, fuelling speculations that the Ramadan, the Muslims’ holiest month, might have helped to break the ice between them.

But presidency sources have told TheCable that if anything, “the relationship has grown colder and the coming weeks promise to be very tense between the two men”.

There are no phone calls, private meetings or exchanges of correspondence between them, according to presidency insiders.

Speaker Dogara Replies Oyegun, Zones Majority Leader To North West

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has replied a letter written by the national Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, John Oyegun, to him on June 23, 2015, directing him to appoint party nominees as principal officers.

Mr. Dogara in his reply, dated July 16, 2015, recalled his earlier claim that a court case instituted by some members on the matter, made it impossible for him to make all necessary consultation on the chairman’s letter.

Mr. Dogara also informed Mr. Oyegun the need to respect Federal Character, and enumerated the tradition of the House of Representatives regarding how Principal officers are elected.

He then proposed to the APC Chairman a list of zoning of principal offices that would best reflect the spirit of Federal character.

South/West APC accuses Buhari of ethnic-based appointments

South-West states’ chairmen of the APC, have decried the pattern of appointments by President Buhari, saying all of them had ethnic slant.

They said aside his spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, every other appointments so far made by Buhari have been from the core North and all of them northern Muslims. The party chairmen vowed not to recognise the emergence of Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara until the crisis in the National Assembly is resolved by the party.

APC NEC meeting: Buhari, Saraki, Dogara attend, Tinubu, Akande absent

President Buhari, Senator Bukola Saraki, Hon Yakubu Dogara and other party members are currently at the APC National secretariat to attend its inaugural National Executive Council meeting. Two of the party's chieftains, Bola Tinubu and Bisi Akande did not attend the meeting. Top on the agenda of the meeting is the crisis rocking the National Assembly. 

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Whatever your personal interests, put them in your pocket - Buhari tells APC members

President Buhari asked APC members to put their personal interest in their pocket and allow the party system work. He gave the charge during his opening remarks at the party's NEC meeting currently holding at the party's National secretariat in Abuja.

"What ever your personal interests, put them in your pocket. Let APC work. Let the system work. I appeal to you to accept the superiority of the party. I cannot confine myself in Sambisa forest and refuse to participate in the meeting because I respect the superiority of the party.” he said

Senator Saaraki and Hon Yakubu Dogara are present at the meeting while Bola Tinubu is absent.

NASS leadership: Tinubu, others offered us deals –PDP

Fresh facts have emerged on the horse-trading and trade-off that led to the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki, Ike Ekweremadu and Yakubu Dogara as Senate President, Deputy Senate president and Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.

A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee, Olisa Metuh, in an exclusive interview with Daily Sun had alleged that former Lagos State governor and  National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu actually reached out to certain leaders of the PDP to sell his anointed candidates for the positions of Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives.

The PDP national publicity secretary further disclosed that the camps of Femi Gbajabiamila and Senator Ahmed Lawan promised PDP lawmakers in both the Red and Green Chambers, juicy committees.

Speaker Dogara Absent At Buhari’s Meeting With APC House of Reps Members

President Muhammadu Buhari, and his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, Wednesday night met with members of the House of Representatives at the presidential villa over the party’s leadership crisis. 

As at press time, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, has not shown up. 

Femi Gbajabiamila attended the meeting along with 29 other lawmakers loyal to him. 

Mr. Gbajabiamila was the All Progressives Congress’ choice for the post of the Speaker before Yakubu Dogara was elected. 

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APC insists on Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu's removal

APC says Deputy Senate president Ike Ekweremadu who is a member of PDP must be removed from office. Senator Ekweremadu who was also the deputy senate president in the last administration, was elected deputy senate president during the controversial senate leadership election on June 9th which produced Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President.

A member of the ruling party who spoke on condition of anonymity with Punch, said Ekweremadu serving as deputy senate president will adversely affect President Buhari's administration.

He also added that President Buhari has refused to see Senator Saraki and Hon Dogara since their emergence as Senate President and Speaker.

Senate Crisis: Oyegun's Fate Shaky As APC Caucus Meets

Akande laments effect of disagreement on party’s unity

Chief John Odigie-Oyegun’s political future is hanging in the balance.

TheAll Progressives Congress (APC) chairman should step down, some forces within the party are pushing, ahead of tomorrow’s meeting of the National Caucus Committee.

Odigie-Oyegun’s offence, sources said at the weekend, is his perceived failure to nip in the bud the National Assembly crisis that has shaken the party so much.

Most of the APC governors, some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and party elders are unhappy that Odigie-Oyegun allowed the “crisis to fester”.

House of Reps members fight in their chambers

Watching live on NTA and taking photos. They are fighting over leadership positions. A group of House of Reps members tried to take away the mace, another group are chanting Dogara. Some want Dogara to leave. Fracas started in the chambers immediately after Speaker Dogara commenced the proceedings for the day's plenary session. Still happening live. Change has come! Lol. 

More photos after the cut..

NASS crisis: APC Govs meet with Buhari, urge APC Senators to respect the wishes of the party

Following the lingering crises in the National Assembly over the appointment of principal officers in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, APC Governors late Tuesday night had a closed door meeting with Pres. Buhari to discuss on ways to resolve the matter. At the end of the meeting, the Governors called on APC members in the National Assembly to respect the wishes of the party regarding appointment of principal officers. 

APC Forwards Names of Candidates For Principal Positions In NASS To Senate President, Speaker

Chairman of the APC Chief John Odigie-Oyegun yesterday forwarded names of the party's chosen candidates to ocupy principal positions in the National Assembly to Saraki and Dogara. The names which was contained in a letter signed by Chief Odigie-Oyegun reads; 

"Please find below for your necessary action names of principal officers approved by the party, after excessive consultations for the 8th Senate as follows: Senator Ahmed Lawan(Majority Leader)–North-East; Prof. Sola Adeyeye( Chief Whip)–South-West; Sen. George Akume (Deputy Majority Leader)—North-Central; and Sen. Abu Ibrahim(Deputy Chief Whip)—North-West."

Atiku, Akande battle for APC BOT chairmanship

There are strong indications that a fresh power tussle is brewing in the All Progressives Congress over the chairmanship of its Board of Trustees.

Saturday PUNCH reliably learnt on Friday that the tussle was between former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and a former Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande.

Investigations showed that the tussle was part of moves by the power blocs in the APC to influence decisions in the party by taking control of its various organs.

APC Crisis: Apologise to Me on National Dailies, Tinubu Tells Saraki, Dogara

Although some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC have initiated moves to reconcile the aggrieved camps and bring back peace in the party, its national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is reportedly not yielding to it until his conditions are met.

Vanguard exclusively gathered yesterday that Tinubu who felt greatly slighted by the elections of Senator Bukola Saraki and Rep. Yakubu Dogara as the senate president and the Speaker, House of Representatives respectively against the party’s official candidates, Senator Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabimila had said of what can assuage his anger and that of the party.

Protesters Storm National Assembly, Demand Death Penalty For Corruption

Some protesters stormed the National Assembly on Wednesday and demanded a legislation that would prescribed death penalty as punishment for corruption in the country.

Speaking under a group, Voice of the Voiceless, they said there was no way Nigeria would made progress if corruption in public office was not brought under control.

They wrote separate letters to the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara.

In the letter to the House, which was signed by the National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Oliver Ezeala, the protesters wrote, “Corruption, as we are all aware of, has eaten so deep into the fabric of 

this great nation and we are strongly advocating the death penalty to anybody who is found guilty of corrupt practices, no matter how highly-placed such an individual is in the society.

Photo From Speaker, Dogara's Thanksgiving, Attributes Victory To God!

The speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara had a thanksgiving service at the Living Faith Church Goshen City, Karu, Nasarawa State yesterday June 14th to appreciate God for his emergence as the new Speaker.

Hon Dogara attributed his victory at the assembly election to God and the teachings of the church which he started attending since 1988.

"I have been a member of this church since 1988 even before I went to the university. The teaching I received here has defined my life. If it were not for the teachings we receive on this altar, maybe this victory may not have come. We had Goliaths in the run to the election, there were Tobias and Sambalats. We had Baalams, who were asked to curse us, but God was with us" he said

“Things have started falling apart in APC” – Prof. Alkali

According to a former adviser to the immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan,- things have began to go sideways in the new ruling party, the All Progressives Congress.

Prof. Rufai Alkali, who was once a Special Adviser on Political Affairs to Jonathan, said “the greatest obstacle” to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, will be his party and its leaders.

Alkali stated this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, on Sunday, June 14.

SARAKI VS DOGARA: PRESIDENT BUHARI STEPS IN………

Embarrassed by the needless threats and vitriolic vituperation from the leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as a result of the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki and Hon. Yakubu Dogara as Ssenate President and  Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively, President Muhammadu Buhari has prevailed on leaders of the party to sheathe their swords.

In fact, it took a personal communication between Mr. President and Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, before the breaks could be applied.

APC Accept Saraki As Senate President

APC finally accept the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki and Speaker Dogara as the Senate president and speaker of the house of representative respectively. The APC leader Chief John Odigie Oyegun said they were duly elected by their colleagues.

He also said the party must wake up to that reality and also live with it. But denied the fact that, the party is aggrieved by the outcome of both elections. He also said, the crisis rocking the party right now will only make it stronger.