9th Assembly: Reps members speak on Gbajabiamila ‘buying’ votes with green cards

POLITICS

9th Assembly: Reps members speak on Gbajabiamila ‘buying’ votes with green cards

A group of lawmakers have spoken up over accusation of vote buying against the Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila

We reported that a House of Representatives group, G7, are seeking legal redress over alleged proof of vote-buying and gross impunity by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Sani Omolori.

Omolori, who supervised the June 11 election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the House of Representatives, is being accused of having condoned impunity among the lawmakers.

Making references to photographic images and video evidence being released to back up their claims, the group asserted that they are only embarking on a principled struggle, adding that while the members have no personal grudges against any person or political party, they will not condone any illegitimacy in the election of the person or persons who will lead the House of Representatives.

But, reacting, a House of Representatives member Khadijah Bukar Abba on Monday said that Gbajabiamila did not induce his colleagues financially to vote for him.

Abba, the acting spokesman of the House, spoke shortly after the inauguration of four adhoc committees by the Speaker on Monday.

Also Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, who stood in for the ad Committee Chairman, said Gbajabiamila had no reason to induce any lawmaker as he worked hard enough to deserve the seat.

Ihonvbere said: “For us, we have conducted a democratic election that was held and aired live. At the end, winners emerged and we all witnessed the losers congratulating the winner on the floor.

“To us as a House, everything is now in the past and we are focused on the serious legislative business we are are here to carry out, to make the House and the country better.

“As far as we are concerned, nobody received money, nobody was enticed to vote. As a matter of fact, no one campaigned intensely robust more than Gbajabiamila, and it went beyond the call of duty to explain what he has to offer.

“At times he went to parts of the country with over 120 lawmakers, with that kind of work, he needed to buy no vote”.

 

SHARE THIS STORY

Speakership: Go to court – lawyers dare Gbajabiamila

POLITICS

Speakership: Go to court – lawyers dare Gbajabiamila

 

A group of lawyers has challenged Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, immediate past Majority Leader, House of Representatives, to go to court over criminal allegation levelled against him by some group ahead of the National Assembly speakership election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Director-General of the Femi Gbajabiamila/Ahmed Wase Campaign Organisation, Rep. Abdulmumin Jibrin, had on Wednesday threatened to sue leaders of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).

According to Jibrin, the decision to sue CUPP leadership followed its criminal allegations against Gbajabiamila which were untrue.

Jibrin had insisted that Gbajabiamila had never been convicted nor served any court document hence he would participate in the Speakership election on June 11 in spite the campaign of calumny.

But the lawyers, under the auspices of Coalition of Public Interest Lawyers and Advocates (COPA), in a statement Friday, stressed that Gbajabiamila would have to first of all clear himself of the allegation before seeking to contest for the Speaker position.

The statement quoted Mr Pelumi Olajengbesi, leader of the group, as welcoming the lawmaker’s threat of going to court, noting that Nigerians would have the opportunity of knowing whether the allegation against him was true or false.

“We make bold to state that it is crystal clear that Femi Gbajabiamila lacks the moral mettle and sincerity to lead the House of Representatives as its Speaker.

“This is because the context of the press conference held on his behalf failed to address the substantive issue against him, and rather than express remorse, countered with baseless threats against the Nigerian people.

“COPA states categorically that it is in possession of all documents and evidences that establishes a clear case of fraudulent dishonesty and abuse of trust against Femi Gbajabiamila.

“The facts against Gbajiamila are, in fact, readily available to the public as they were established in a Court of Record with same being accessible to the public, and are attached herein for the avoidance of doubt.

“We have established correspondence with the Supreme Court of Georgia and we have documents of Disciplinary Case No. S06Y0829 and the family of the victim of Gbajiamila’s fraud, Hadyatou Barry and also Vesta with P. O. Box 23410 Nashville TN, 31202, the insurance company that paid the claim misappropriated by Femi Gbajabiamila.

“The entire defense raised in Femi Gbajabiamila’s behalf in the said press statement relied on a book whose thorough, unbiased reading ironically actually proves his guilt as the book acknowledges all the material facts establishing his guilt in fraudulently appropriating to himself money meant for the victim of a car accident,” the statement quoted Olajengbesi as saying.

The statement also quoted Olajengbesi as saying that no amount of half-truths and misdirection would stop them from getting to the root of the matter.

SHARE THIS STORY