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

Cross River: INEC re-affirms John Owan-Enoh as APC governorship candidate

POLITICS

Cross River: INEC re-affirms John Owan-Enoh as APC governorship candidate

 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday at a renewed sitting of the Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal in Calabar, Cross River, reaffirmed the nomination of Senator John Owan Enoh as the lawful candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the March 9 governorship election.

The commission, while arguing in a suit no EPT/CAL/COV01/2019, however, said “Sen. Enoh was not excluded from the elections as claimed by the petitioner since he participated in the exercise having been re-listed.”

Senator Owan Enoh had petitioned the electoral umpire, which is the Second Respondent and Governor Ben Ayade, the First Respondent in the matter alleged unlawful exclusion from the election.

Counsel to INEC, Dele Adeshina had stated that “Sen. Enoh was the duly nominated candidate of the APC and that the commission had issued a letter dated 8th March to that effect.

Apparently smarting from the petition, Adeshina said “the candidate, however, participated in the election and so was not excluded.”

In his argument, Counsel to Sen. Enoh, Awa Kalu (SAN), said the petitioner would not have participated in an election if he was excluded.

According to him, the issue of faction as raised by the first respondent Counsel does not exist in internal democracy especially when it has to do with the sponsorship or nomination of candidates.

He contended that “the issue of factions applies only in the parliament when there’s a crisis within a party leading to cross-carpeting by legislators and not on the basis of nomination of candidates for election.

He averred that ”Sen. Owan Enoh was duly nominated for the Governorship election by his party but was unlawfully excluded for the March 9 polls by the commission”.

The legal luminary, however, challenged the first and second respondents to be the first to prove otherwise, the petition on exclusion stressing that INEC had never argued against a phone call made by the State Electoral Commissioner (REC) at 12 pm on the elections day congratulating the petitioner for being relisted as the APC Candidate for the race.

Counsel to Sen. Ayade, Paul Erokoro (SAN) had argued that “though the Petitioner was nominated for the election but his nomination was done by a faction of his party”.

Justice Josiah Majebi has put the ruling on the onus of proof on exclusion or otherwise for Tuesday, March 17th 2019.

 

SHARE THIS STORY

Imo: Ihedioha approves suspension of LG chairmen, sacks ISIEC chairman, members

POLITICS

Imo: Ihedioha approves suspension of LG chairmen, sacks ISIEC chairman, members

 

Governor Emeka Ihedioha, has approved the suspension of Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, Councilors and political appointees of the local governments of Imo State and constitution of Interim Management Committees for six months.

The suspension is contained in the instrument signed by the Governor, pursuant to the recommendation made to him by the Imo State House of Assembly.

A statement on Monday by his Chief Press Secretary, Chibuike Onyeukwu, said this was in pursuant also, to the provisions of Sections 4, 5, and 6 of the Local Government Administration (Amendment) law, 2019 and S.73(3) of Imo State Local Government Administration Law No 15 of 2000 (as amended) and all other laws enabling him.

“The Governor has set up Interim Management Committees to manage the affairs of each Local Government.

“Consequently, the Directors of Administration and General Services (DAGS) of each Local Government have been directed to take over management, pending the confirmation of Interim Management Committees by the State Assembly,” he said.

In a similar development, the Governor approved the dissolution and removal of the chairman and members of the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC).

This followed a resolution supported by two-thirds majority of the State Assembly rendered on 6th June, 2019 seeking their removal from office.

“The action is also in accordance with the provisions of S.7(1) of the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission Law and all other extant laws of the State”, the statement added.

“The Commission will be reconstituted in due course to put in place the machinery for conducting a credible election into the local governments.

“The Governor further directs that these officers handover to the most senior civil servant in the Commission.”

 

SHARE THIS STORY

Ministerial appointment: Tinubu makes demand from Buhari

POLITICS

Ministerial appointment: Tinubu makes demand from Buhari

 

The lawmaker representing Lagos Central senatorial district at the National Assembly, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to show magnanimity by appointing many women into his new cabinet.

She lamented that the National Assembly was gradually turning into an “exclusive gentlemen’s club”.

Tinubu linked the apathy amongst women in running for elective political positions to a number of reasons.

She stated this yesterday in Abuja at an event that also had the presence of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari.

She said, “We are still watching and hoping that maybe, the President will be magnanimous enough to appoint a lot of female ministers but they should be ministers who will not disappoint us and do the work; not to go there and embezzle money.

“You know the last experience was not actually pleasant, it should be women who are ready to serve and make the necessary sacrifice.

“Do we need women in the public place? Yes, that is why I am here to encourage the younger generation to reach for the sky.

“It has always been seven or eight women in the National Assembly, the National Assembly is turning into exclusively a gentleman’s club and I think that if we are not careful, that is what it will turn out to be and it is quite sad.

“I don’t think they are being good sportsmen; they are quite vicious when it comes to positions; everybody is striving and I think we women have to start raising boys that are gender-friendly. We raised all these selfish men and this is what we pay for that.

“The coming generation should begin to raise men that would not feel threatened by a woman who is in a top position, so we still have a lot to do but the current men that are here are very vicious when it comes to seeking for top positions.

“Not that they don’t allow women, it is just that everyone is striving so hard and you can see that the violence in politics is keeping women back, there are a lot of things keeping women back but the point is that the men are not just gender-friendly.

“I was just looking when we went for registration today and I was just looking because it was just a sea of men.”

 

SHARE THIS STORY