Leadership Tussle, Personal Interests, Tearing APC House Of Rep Members Apart

Jibrin Claims Gbajabiamila Is Nursing Ambition To Become The Speaker Of The House

The All Progressives Congress caucus in the House of Representatives, is reportedly experiencing leadership tussle, and could be a threat to the unity of the caucus in the House.

Further report into the issue has it that the quarrel is between the Leader of the House, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila; the Coordinator of the Parliamentary Support Group, Mr Abdulmumin Jibrin; and a lawmaker from Sokoto State, Mr Musa Serkin-Ada.

The APC caucus, the Parliamentary Support Group, and the loyalists, all have their aim targetted at getting the President a second term in office come 2019.

It was stated that Gbajabiamila had questioned the relevance of other groups within the APC caucus, when the caucus could work hand in hand for the success of the President.

Jibrin, in another picture, was reported to have accused Gbajabiamila of using his power against PSG to destroy it and other groups, simply because of his own agenda, which is to become the speaker of the house.

Jibrin also doubted the unity of the APC caucus under the leadership of Gbajabiamila.

He accused him of “selectively” inviting members to hold night meetings with the National Chairman of the APC, Mr Adams Oshiomhole.

Jibrin allegedly claimed that Gbajabiamila’s aim was driven at impeaching the speaker of the house, Yakubu Dogara, for him to succeed Dogara.

In a text message Jibrin circulated to members on Wednesday, he wrote, “How can the House leader claim that there is one APC caucus when it is a known fact that invitations to caucus meetings are selective? We all know that many of us were not notified/invited to the last caucus meeting with the national chairman for reasons best known to him.

“We want to make it categorically clear to Hon. Femi (Gbajabiamila) that he has not demonstrated uprightness, fairness, equity and justice. (He has) failed to carry everyone along and so some of us cannot trust and follow him as the leader of our caucus. We will announce our own leader on resumption.

“We will pick a competent member from the South-West to lead us. There are many of them in the House. Everything from South-West mustn’t go to Femi. We will meet the national chairman and Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) to lay our case.”

Further accusing Gbajabiamila of nursing a personal ambition and plotting to destroy the PSG, Jibrin wrote, “We will not allow anybody to take advantage of our caucus and his so-called support for our party and Buhari to foster his personal ambition. He has never stood for the party or the President except when he wants to advance his personal ambition. It is time to give others from the South-West the opportunity.

“The inclusion and exclusion style of Hon. Femi has inflicted collateral damage on the unity of our caucus which has resulted in the present factions. And it is time to deal with it before he destroys our party.

“After making spirited but failed attempts through subterranean means to destroy the Parliamentary Support Group, he has factionalised the APC. Is that how he wants to lead?”

Mr Yussuff Lasun, the Deputy Speaker of the House, was one of those that were reported to have not been invited to the meeting with Oshiomhole, with the believe that he might stand against the party’s views.

Mr Wole Oladimeji, the Deputy Speaker of the House’s Press Secretary, when contacted, claimed that his boss was invited and fully participated in the meeting.

“The DS was duly invited. He was there from the beginning till the end“, Oladimeji said.

Naija News however gathered that Gbajabiamila is not nursing any plan to impeach Dogara, but waiting for 2019 to contest for the seat.

“They are mixing things up Gbajabiamila wants to return in 2019 to be the speaker. Yes, he is mobilising for 2019 and if anything, he believes that a united APC caucus will serve his interest better. He has campaigned for the APC to remain one“, one senior parliamentary official told punch in Abuja.

When Gbajabiamila was asked to comment on the issue, he stated “No comment”

Another top official of the House reduced the issue to simply “leadership tussle” within the Buhari support groups.

The official explained, “Jibrin has led the PSG and active in the loyalists group.

“Problems started after some members held the view that all the groups should merge and have Serkin-Ada as the chairman, thereby leaving Jibrin out.

“Even the APC House caucus too is insisting that it is strong as a body to work for Mr President, hence these so-called support groups are not necessary.”

Mr Abdulrazak Namdas, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, said he would not speak on the disagreement within the groups because it was not a House matter.

Mr Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, the Chief Whip of the House, dismissed the allegations of Jibrin as they concerned Gbajabiamila’s plot to become the speaker.

Ado-Doguwa also said Gbajabiamila’s seat was not under threat either, but he admitted that there was a leadership dispute within the pro-Buhari groups.

He stated, “Gbajabiamila is still our leader and to the best of my knowledge, we are all working in harmony with one another as leaders of the APC caucus in the House. Dogara is still a loyal member of the APC. I also want to categorically say that we as a caucus, have no plans whatsoever to impeach Dogara as our speaker

“I am also sure that Gbajabiamila too does not as an individual have any such plans. We are proud to say that our ranks in the House have not been broken like is the case in the Senate.

“The only problem I know with Buhari/Parliamentary Support Group is about its protem leadership, which resulted in a slight leadership tussle between Sarkin-Ada as its chairman or chief coordinator and another contending member.“