The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has adopted Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as its candidate for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th National Assembly.
The Spokesman of the party, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the decision was reached after an intensive deliberation with the APC’s House of Representatives members-elect at a dinner with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Banquet Hall of Aso Villa.
The APC spokesman, who posted this information on APC platform on Tuesday night, also revealed that the position of the Deputy Speaker position has been zoned to the North Central.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that President Buhari had on Tuesday night hosted all APC House of Representatives members-elect and later went into closed doors session with them.
President Buhari had on March 26 also hosted Senators-elect of the APC to a similar dinner at the Presidential Villa.
At the the National Chairman of APC, Mr. Adams Oshiohmole, vowed they would not repeat the mistakes of 2015 and described Senate President Bukola Saraki and Hon. Yakukubu Dogara of House of Representatives as selfish and greedy politicians.
”In life mistakes are permitted but it becomes a problem if the mistake is repeated twice.
”We are determined not to repeat the mistakes of 2015 in 2019, we have learnt our lesson,” he said.
He also maintained that all ‘strategic committees’ in the two chambers of NASS must be headed by members of the party, saying that ”We do not need to do business with the devil for us to survive in the ninth assembly.”
He said: ”Out of 223 APC elected members, about 67 were re-elected, the rest are new members.
”In other climes, you don’t go into coalition when you are in the majority, you do so when you don’t have the numbers. We have the numbers, out of 306, Nigerians elected 223 APC members because they don’t want Mr President to face the trauma of 2015.
”Most of those who decamped were rejected and even those who led it were uprooted. We cannot as a party which has a comfortable majority, entrust critical committees in the hands of the PDP or opposition.
”If Nigerians wanted them, they could have voted them. In the days of PDP, every committee were chaired by PDP members.
Oshiohmole, who described Saraki and Dogara as selfish, greedy politicians, said both the re-elected and new members of the APC were entitled to heading committees
He, therefore, reiterated that the APC would never share what belonged to it with the opposition.
He explained that the meeting with President Buhari was meant to ensure smooth election of officials of the forthcoming ninth national assembly.
”In African family, we sit down in a closed door to address issues, the good news is that there is a role for everyone,” he added
